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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
A father who killed Max's mother; some physical confrontation and threat
Language
Barely any
Mild language appropriate to middle-grade
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The grief of losing a friend, the legacy of parental violence, and Kevin's death give the novel real emotional weight for its age group
What this book is about
Rodman Philbrick's beloved novel follows Max, a large, slow-learning boy haunted by his father, and Kevin, his brilliant neighbor who has Morquio syndrome and uses Max as his legs. Together they become Freak the Mighty, a knight-errant duo navigating the cruelties of middle school. The novel deals honestly with physical disability, learning differences, violence in the home, and loss. Kevin's death is the emotional center of the novel's final act. A deeply humane book that is beloved in middle school classrooms.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Death of a child character
Parental violence and murder in backstory
Reader Verification
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