Freak the Mighty By Rodman Philbrick

Chapter 1- The Unvanquished Truth (pages 1-4)

1.) What was Max’s name in daycare? Why was he called that?

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__________________2.) What does Max mean by “…the year Gram and Grim

took me over…”?

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3.) Who is Freak? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.) What does Grim mean when he says that Maxwell is “getting to look a lot

like him”?

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Chapter 2- Up from the Down Under (pages 5-9)

1.)When does Freak move into the duplex down the street from Max?

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2. Where does Max live? Why?

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__________________3.) Who is “the Fair Gwen”? Describe her as Max would.

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4.) What is Kevin doing as the movers are moving them into their new home?

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5.) What is the first thing Kevin says to Max? What does Max think about it?

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Chapter 3- American Flyer (pages 10-14)

1.) Why is Kevin hitting the tree? ______________________________________________________________________________

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2.) Why does Max call Kevin a “freak”? ______________________________________________________________________________

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3.) According to Kevin, what is an ornithopter? ______________________________________________________________________________

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__________________4.) Draw a picture of the ornithopter.

Chapter 4- What Frightened the Fair Gwen (pages 15-20)

1.) According to Kevin, if you don’t read, what can’t you do?

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

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2.) Why was The Fair Gwen so afraid when she saw Freak with

Max? ______________________________________________________________________________

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3.) According to Kevin, what is television? ______________________________________________________________________________

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__________________4.) Why does Freak get so excited when talking

about the Knights of the Roundtable? ______________________________________________________________________________

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Chapter 5- Spitting Image (pages 21-27)

1.) Why does Max go under his bed at the beginning of Chapter 5?

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2.) Have you ever been hurt by someone’s reaction to you? When? How did

you handle your feelings about it?

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3.) How does Max react when Gram comes into the Down Under to tell him

that the Fair Gwen has just called?

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__________________4.) Why was the Fair Gwen so afraid of Max?

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Chapter 6- Close Encounter of the Turd Kind (pages 28-33)

1.) What does Max say the 4th of July is really all about?

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2.) Why do you think this chapter is called “Close Encounter of the Turd

Kind”?

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3.) Why do Max and Freak laugh so hard after Tony D. and his gang run away

the first time?

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4.) Describe the mood at the end of Chapter 6.

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Chapter 7- Walking High Above the World (pages 34-40)

1.) What does Freak see from atop of Max’s shoulders as they head to the

food carts?

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__________________2.) Do you think running into the pond was a good plan?

Why or why not?

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3.) How do Max and Freak end up taking the name “Freak the Mighty”?

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4.) Draw a picture of your favorite scene from the book so far. Label the picture with the Chapter number, Chapter Title and a caption above or below the scene. Color the scene (time permitting).

Chapter 8- Dinosaur Brain (pages 41-47)

1.) Does Max get in trouble with Grim and Gram when he comes

home with the police officer? Why or why not?

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2.) What changes in Max’s relationship with Grim and Gram after

the bully incident?

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3.) What do you think is significant about Grim giving Max his first

cup of real coffee?

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4.) What is the difference between running away and “taking

evasive action”?

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5.) What does Freak do when he looks up a word in the dictionary?

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Chapter 9- Life is Dangerous

(pages 48-53)

1.) Chapter 9 opens with Max and Freak on an quest. Is this real or

imaginary? Explain your answer referencing the text.

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2.) What is the Fortress? Why does Freak take Max there?

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3.) How does Freak describe “bionics” to Max?

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4.) How does the tone of the chapter change when Freak starts

telling Max about becoming a “human robot”?

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Chapter 10 – Rats or Worse (pages 54-62)

1.) What is a “Walkman”?

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2.) Why do Freak and Max have to wait until night time for their

next quest?

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3.) Why do you think Freak always talks in Star Wars references?

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4.) What is the “retrieval device” that Freak made to get the

treasure?

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Chapter 11 – Damsel of Distress (pages 63-71)

1.) A compound word is made up of two smaller words. Locate the compound word in the following sentences from Chapter 11 and write the two words from which it is made.

“What we do is go down to the playground and cut over behind that little patch of trees….” (63).

_____________ + ______________ = _______________________“…he’s the boss of The Panheads, this bad-news motorcycle

gang.” ( 66).

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2.) Why does Kevin say it is sometimes OK to break a promise when you are on a quest?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.) Who are Loretta and Iggy? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4.))What does Iggy mean when he says “Life ain’t life”? (70). ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 12 – Killer Kane, Killer Kane,

Had a Kid Who Got No Brain (pages 72-79)

1.) Write a summary of Chapter 12 below. Make sure to identify the main events of this chapter

and add details from the chapter. Include at least one quote from this chapter would help the

reader of your summary get an idea for what happened in Chapter 12. Your summary must be at

least 5, complete sentences. You may add an illustration in the blank space if you would like.

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Chapter 13 – American Chop Suey (pages 80-87)

1.) A common noun names a person, place, or thing. A proper noun names a particular

person, place or thing. It is always capitalized. Find three proper nouns and three

common nouns from this chapter and list them here.

Common Nouns Proper Nouns

Ex: day Ex: Monday

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

2.) On pg. 81, what strategy does Freak use to get out of answering questions in class?

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3.) What influence has Freak had on Max? Specifically, how has Freak affected Max’s

ability to read?.

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4.) Why is Max called to the principal’s office? What happens when the principal mentions

Max’s father to him? Why do you think he reacts that way?

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Chapter 14 – Cross My Heart and Hope to Die

(pages 88-92)

1. How does Freak’s smile from the back of the car make Max feel?

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2. What reason does Freak give for needing a new body?

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3. What do Grim and Gram argue about?

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4. What does it mean to be “paroled”?

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6. How do you think Max feels about the possibility of his father getting paroled?

Chapter 15 – What Came Down the Chimney

(pages 93-99) 1. What does the following quote mean? “Freak and the Fair Gwen have supper with us, and

we’re all trying to pretend like everything is normal…” (pg. 93)

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2. Describe the gift that Freak gives Max for Christmas. What do you think the significance of

this gift is? After you answer these questions, try to draw a picture of it.

3. What happens at the very end of this chapter?

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Chapter 16 – A Chip off the Old Block

(pages 100-107)1. Why does Max say that he isn’t surprised that his father came back to get him?

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2. Why does Max’s father say that he is a “chip off the old block”?

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3. Why does Max think that his father doesn’t need a suit of armor?

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4. Where does Max’s father take him? Why do you think he takes him there?

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5. Where do you think Iggy is taking Max and his father at the end of Chapter 16?

Chapter 17 – By All That’s Holy

(pages 108-114)

In Chapter 17, the big secret about Max’s father, Killer Kane, is revealed. Summarize

this Chapter in at least three, full paragraphs. (Use additional paper and attach.)

● The first paragraph should summarize the sequence of events in this chapter.

● The second paragraph should summarize the story about Killer Kane and what he

tells Max about his time in jail.

● The final paragraph is your opinion of what Killer Kane tells Max and swears on

the Bible. Do you believe him? Why or why not?

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Chapter 18 – Never Trust a Cripple

(pages 115-121)1.) What does Max mean when he says that he’s “…just a blob in the chair with numb hands and

numb feet”?

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2.) At pages 117-118 Max’s father tells him of his plan for their future. What is it?

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3.) Why does Max’s father say the he is “the light”?

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4.) How is it that “the cops” come to Iggy’s house looking for Max? How do they know to look

there?

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5.) Do you think Max really doesn’t trust “a cripple” (aka, Freak), or he is just saying that to his

father? Why?

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Chapter 19 – Into the Black Down Under

(pages 122-127)1.) Describe the “black down under”.

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2.) Look up and write the definition for the word “accommodations”. Then, tell me what you

think it means as used on page 124.

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3.) What does Loretta Lee say when she comes down to untie Max? Does this change your

opinion about her and, if so, why?

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4.) What happens at the end of the chapter? How does this make you feel about Max’s dad and

what he told Max earlier when he revealed his big secret?

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Compare and Contrast Max to his father. Include 5 points in each section of the Venn Diagram.

Chapter 20- Freak the Mighty Strikes Again

(pages 128-134) 1. What does Max confess to on pages 128-130 as he is saving Loretta Lee? Are you surprised?

Why or why not.

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2. What makes Max’s dad stop choking him?

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3. If I told you that it was Freak’s smarts that saved Max, what would you think I mean?

Describe what Freak does to save Max.

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4. How do you feel at the end of Chapter 20 when Freak says “Freak the Mighty strikes again!”?

How does the mood change with the ending of this Chapter?

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Chapter 21 – The Accident of Nature

(pages 135-140)

1. How do you think Grim acts towards Max throughout the hospital/police station ordeal? Give

evidence from the text to support your answer.________________ ________________________

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2. On page 136, why does Max say that Gram’s expression “you can’t judge a book by its cover”

is right? _______________________________________________________________________

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3. What is happening at this point in the book with Freak’s health?

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4. Name two things that are different about school after the Christmas break?

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5. What happens to Killer Kane’s trial?

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Chapter 22 – Remembering is Just an Invention of the Mind

(pages 141-146)

1. At the end of the previous chapter, Grim and Max have a talk about how Max IS and ISN’T

like his father. (pgs. 139-140). a.) What does Grim say? b.)What ways does he say Max is NOT

like his father? c.) How does Max feel about this? Answer a.), b.) and c.) below.

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2. Which character belongs which description.

Character Description

____ A freak of nature

____ A kid who’s got no brain

____ A Heroic Biker Babe

____ A robot-boy

a. Max

b. Loretta Lee

c. Freak

d. Killer Kane

3. At pages 141-142, freak explains to Max what remembering is. Summarize what Freak says.

Do you think he is foreshadowing something that is going to happen? If so, what?

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4. How does Freak’s birthday celebration end?

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Chapter 23 – The Empty Book(pages 147-152)

1. How does Max find Freak looking when he visits him in the hospital?

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2. What is a “tracheotomy”? Look up the word, write the definition, and then tell me why it is

mentioned in Chapter 23.

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2. Why does Freak give Max and empty book? Why does he say he won’t have enough time to

fill it?

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3. How do you feel about this part of the book? What do you think is going to happen, and

why?

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Chapter 24 – The Return of Kicker

(pages 153-157)

This is a very sad chapter. Instead of answering questions, you can choose to do one of the following activities:

1. Write a journal entry about what happened to Freak and how you feel about it.

2. Write a journal entry about whether you think what Freak told Max about getting a new, bionic body was really a “lie” or not.

3. Write a journal entry making a prediction about how you think Max will handle this sad turn of events.

Chapter 25 – What Loretta Said

(pages 158-160)

1. How do you think Max is handling Freak’s death one year afterwards?

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2. What does Loretta say to Max that helps him get on with his life?

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3. After he talks with Loretta, what does Max start doing?

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4. If you could fill the first few pages of Max’s empty book, which adventure of his and Freak’s

would you write about and why? Write the first paragraph of that adventure (or the whole thing

if you’d like) below.

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Freak’s Dictionary

Go back in the book and find 10 words that you

did not know when you read the book. Add them

below, along with their definitions AND then use

them in a sentence.

1.

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