Freak the Mighty
Vocabulary List Chapters 1-8
Word
1. Unvanquished
Meaning
not able to be defeated
2. Scuttle
A short, hurried run; to scurry
3. Perspective
An accurate point of view; objectively
4. Strutting
Walking with “attitude”
5. Sobriquet
A nickname
6. Hulking
Clumsy and heavy
7. Trajectory
The curve described by a rocket in flight
8. Glimpse
A brief sight or view
9. Hunkering
10. Postulate
To lumber along; walk or move slowly or
aimlessly
To claim or assume the existence or truth of
11. Deficiency
Incompleteness; insufficiency
12. Converging
Incline toward each other
13. Evasive
Avoiding or seeking to avoid trouble or difficulties
14. Propelled
To cause to move forward
15. Demeanor
Conduct or behavior
16. Depleted
Supply is used up
17. Cretin
A stupid or mentally defective person
18. Quest
An adventurous expedition
19. Invincible
Incapable of being conquered or defeated
20. Expel
Discharge or eject
21. Archetype
A collectively inherited pattern of thought present
Freak the Mighty
Word
in people
Vocabulary List Chapters 9 -18
1.steed
Meaning
A high-spirited horse
2. pledge
A solemn promise
3. oath
A formally issued statement or promise
4. gruel
A thin porridge
5. tenement
Run-down, overcrowded apartment
houses
That place over there
6. yonder
7. optimum
8. Holy Grail
9. Injustice
The best result under specific
conditions
A sacred object
10. Urgency
Violation of the rights of others; unfair
action
Requiring speedy action or attention
11. Miraculous
Marvelous; of the nature of a miracle
12. Deprived
Lacking the necessities of life
13. Trussed
To tie or secure closely
14. Divulged
To make known or reveal
15. Fealty
Showing loyalty
16. Abide
To tolerate; to put up with
17. Sought
To go in search of something
18. Dysfunctional
19. Smirk
Not capable of serving the purpose for
which it is designed
To smile in a smug way
20. Obligation
A binding promise, sense of duty
21. Redeemed
To buy or pay off to clear by payment
Freak the Mighty
Vocabulary List Chapters 19 -25
Word
Meaning
1. Slant
To slope
2. Abduction
The act of taking someone by force:
kidnapping
Being the only one of a particular type
3. Unique
4. Slag
6. Stabilized
Waste left over after the re-sorting of
coal
Something that causes admiration; to
wonder
To maintain at a certain level
7. Manifestation
Outward or perceptible indication
8. Accommodations
Food or lodging
9. Wring
To forcibly twist or squeeze
10. Aberration
11. Puny
Deviation from what is normal,
expected or usual
Less than normal size; small
12. Obnoxious
Annoying due to being a show-off
13. Facilitate
To make life easier or less difficult
5. Marvel
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 1
Guidelines for a Quest
The ordinary world
The ordinary world is shown in order to provide a contrast
with the ‘new’ world the hero is about to enter.
The call to adventure
The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or
adventure. As soon as they know about this call they can no longer
be comfortable in the ordinary world. The hero’s goal is made clear: to
win the treasure; get revenge; right a wrong; confront a challenge or
achieve a dream.
Refusal of the call
The hero becomes reluctant to take on the challenge and
may start to think of turning back. Advice from a mentor or
some other circumstance is needed to enable the hero to
overcome this fear.
Mentor
The mentor helps the hero prepare for the adventure. He or she gives
guidance and sometimes magical equipment.
They can only travel part of the journey with the hero and
at this point can give stern advice to the hero to get the
adventure going.
Crossing the first
threshold
The hero commits to the adventure, agrees to face the
consequences of the challenge and enters the special world of the
story. This is where the adventure starts.
Tests, allies and
enemies
The hero begins to face the challenges of the new world. He or she
meets new friends and enemies. Often the settings can be dark and
dangerous and the hero’s determination to complete the adventure is
tested.
Approach to the
inmost cave
The hero comes to the edge of a dangerous place where the object of
the quest is hidden. When the place is entered, the hero crosses the
second threshold. Often heroes pause at the gate to prepare and
plan.
The supreme
ordeal
The hero has to face his or her greatest fear. They will also face
death and will battle with the enemy. Reward - The hero wins the
treasure. This treasure could be
knowledge and reconciliation with the enemy.
The road back
The hero must face the consequences of the battle with the enemy. If
there has been no reconciliation, the enemy may return to chase the
hero as they make their way back to the ordinary world.
Resurrection
The hero must be re-born in order to return to the normal
world. The hero faces another brush with death. The lessons learned
from the supreme ordeal help the hero to win through.
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 2
Following a Quest
Movie Title: ____________________
Directions: With a partner, choose a movie that you know is an example of a quest or
journey. Some examples are: Stars Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. Once
you have identified the movie, complete the chart below showing how your movie fits in
to each category.
The ordinary world
The call to adventure
Refusal of the call
.
Mentor
Crossing the first
threshold
Tests, allies and
enemies
Approach to the
inmost cave
The supreme
ordeal
The road back
Resurrection
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 3
Freak the Mighty
“Families, Fathers, Friends and fights”
Directions:
Before reading Freak the Mighty, place a check in the column indicating if you agree or
disagree with the corresponding statement. After reading the book, check the
statements and see if your answers have changed after reading and discussing Freak
the Mighty. Choose one statement and write a paragraph about why you agree or
disagree with it.
Agree
____
Disagree
____ It is better to fight than stand back and let people take advantage
of you.
____
____ Men are like steel: when they lose their temper, they lose their
worth. –Chuck Norris
____
____
____
____ A friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be
yourself. – Jim Morrison
____
____ People with differences should be treated differently.
____
____ You cannot escape from your past.
____
____
____
____ It is not a bad thing that children should occasionally, and politely,
put parents in their place. – Colette
____
____ All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is
unhappy in its own way. – Leo Tolstoy
It is a wise father that knows his own child. – Shakespeare
Having children makes you no more a parent than
having a piano makes you a pianist. –Michael Levine
Chapter 1 and 2
Questions and Activities
1. Setting is the time place or circumstance of a story. In a short paragraph describe the “downunder where Max lives.
2. Answer the following questions in a well-developed paragraph. Why is Max convinced he does
not have a brain? Is his assessment of himself as a “butthead” correct? Do our opinions of
ourselves affect what others think of us? Do others’ opinions of us affect how we feel about
ourselves?
3. See Student Resource Sheet 4 - Time Order Sequencing.
Chapter 3 and 4
Questions and Activities
1. Complete the chart on Character - Student Resource Sheet 4
Chapter 5 and 6
Questions and Activities
1. Point of View is the angle or view point from which a story is told. In Chapter 6 Max and Kevin
meet up with Tony D. Rewrite what happens in this scene from Tony D’s point of view.
2. In a well-developed paragraph describe the character of Tony D using three quotations from the
book.
3. Complete Student Resource Sheet 5 – Max’s Hero Journey
Chapter 7 and 8
Questions and Activities
1. Copy and complete the chart below to show your understanding of symbolism in chapters 7 and 8
Object/ Person/ Place
1. Blade (p.34)
Represents …
2. Freak the Mighty (p.39)
3. Slaying Dragons (p.44)
4. The cup of coffee (p.42)
5. Dinosaur brain (p.47)
2. When Max is brought home by the police Grim and Gram automatically assume the worse. Based
on what you have read so far in the novel explain three events that have happened that could
support their concerns.
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 3
Time Order Sequencing
Directions: Upon completion of reading Chapters 1 and 2 students are to number the
following events in the order that they occurred in the story.
Events
Kevin pretends to be “robot man”
Max was in the L.D classroom.
Max was nicknamed “Kicker”
Max thinks that Kevin doesn’t like
him.
Kevin yells at the movers.
Kevin moved in down the street.
Max moved in with Gram and Grim.
Max gets bored reading comic
books.
Max sees and remembers Gwen.
Max lives in the basement.
Order of Occurrence
Freak the Mighty
Sheet 4
Character
Student Resource
Directions: Using the information found in chapters 1 – 6, complete the chart below by making
a list of what Kevin and Max look like, how they speak how they act, and how others react to
them. Include three (3) examples for each section.
Main
Character
s
Physical
Appearance






Max
Kevin
\
Physical
size
Posture
Height
Hair colour
Eyes
Clothing
Behavior and
Actions




Personal
motivation
Personal
values
Personal
interests
Personal
Quests
Thoughts and
Feelings





Self-esteem
Fears
Goals
Family
Friendship
Interpersonal
relationships





Bullying
Misunderstanding
Miscommunication
Stereotyping
Your personal
reaction
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 5
Max’s Hero Journey
Directions: Reread the events that take place in Chapters 3 – 6. Complete the chart
showing how these events match the steps in the hero’s journey.
Consider the following questions:
 What is Max’s call to adventure?
 How or why does he refuse that call?
 Who do you think the mentor might be? Could it be more than one person?
Stages of the Hero’s Journey
The call to adventure
The hero is presented with a problem,
challenge or adventure to undertake. As
soon as they know about this call they can
no longer be comfortable in the ordinary
world. The hero’s goal is made clear: to
win treasure, get revenge, right a wrong,
confront a challenge, or achieve a dream.
Refusal of the call
The hero becomes reluctant to take on the
challenge and may start thinking or turning
back. Advice from the mentor or some
other circumstance is needed to enable the
hero to overcome fear.
Mentor
The mentor helps the hero prepare for the
adventure. He or she gives guidance and
sometimes magical equipment. They can
only travel part of the journey with thee
hero and at this point can give serious
advice to the hero to get the adventure
going.
Events from the Novel
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 6
Flow Chart for the Creation of Freak the Mighty
Directions: Using information from Chapters 6-8, complete the chart to show how
Kevin and Max become ‘Freak the Mighty’.
Max and Kevin are both in the same daycare. Max is the
“kicker”; Kevin refers to himself and “Robot Man”. Max finds
Kevin to be fierce. He doesn’t want to mess with him.
Chapter 9 and 10
Questions and Activities
1. Foreshadowing is a clue or hint about what will happen later in the story. The information is used
to tease readers and keep them guessing about what is going to happen in the story. Why do you
think the author included chapter 9 in the novel? What is being foreshadowed in this chapter?
Give specific details from the story to explain.
2. Complete Student Resource Sheet #7
Chapter 11 and 12
Questions and Activities
1. Setting is the time place or circumstance of a story. The boys find themselves in a dangerous
place in this chapter. In a well-developed paragraph discuss how does the author convey the
seriousness of the situation of the “new testaments”? Explain using specific details from the
novel.
2. Complete Student Resource Sheet #8
Chapter 13 and 14
Questions and Activities
1. In a well-developed paragraph explain what event occurs in chapter 14 and how Grim reacts to
this news? Is this an appropriate reaction? Explain why or why not.
2. Complete Student Resource Sheet #9
Chapter 15 and 16
Questions and Activities
1. Suspense is the creation of a feeling of uncertainty in the reader. How does the author create
suspense in chapter 15?
2. Conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces. In chapters 15 and 16 Max is presented
with a new conflict as his father returns to his life. Explain what type of conflict this is and how
Max chooses to deal with it to protect him and those he cares about.
3. Complete Student Resource Sheet #10.
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 7
Rescues, Journeys and Knightly Deeds
In Chapters 7 to 10, Kevin uses language which refers to knights and their quests. In
these chapters there are events which cause the reader to think of rescues, journeys
and knightly deeds. Re- read the chapters to find examples of these events and use the
organizer below to record your ideas.
Examples of
language referring
to knights
Rescues, journeys
and knightly
deeds
Knights and
knightly deeds
Language
describing Max as
a horse
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 8
Iggy and Loretta at the “New Testaments”
Writers can use language symbolically, to paint images in the reader’s mind. If the writer
wants to give a positive impression of a character, positive language will be used.
However, if the writer wants to warn the reader that a character is going to be trouble,
negative language might be used.
The quotations below are used by the writer to give impressions of Iggy and Loretta
Lee.
Draw the image that these quotations bring to your mind and then try to explain
underneath how the language leads you to your expectations of the character.
Loretta Lee: “this hand comes snaking
out and reaches for the mail box”
Iggy Lee: “and he’s got a beard
which looks like it’s made out of
red barbed wire.”
Draw your image here:
Draw your image here:
What does this image lead us to
expect of Loretta? What might it
symbolize about her?
What does this image lead us to
expect of Iggy? What might it
symbolize about him?
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 9
Kenny Kane’s Legacy
Directions: Fill in the chart with what we know about Max’s father up to this point
(Chapters 1-14) and explain what you think each point means.
What we know
Example: Grim refers to Max’s dad as
“Him”. He does not call him by name.
What it means
Could show fear, disrespect. Definitely
shows he is not liked by the man.
Freak the Mighty
Student Resource Sheet 10
Kenny Kane and Hidden Threats
The following are all quotations from Chapter 16. Some of these details show that on
the surface the character Kenny Kane is being gentle. On the other side of the table,
however, are details which suggest that there are many hidden threats.
Directions: With a partner, use the spaces to make notes about what the quotations
suggest about Kenny Kane and his intentions.
Surface gentleness?
Hidden threat?
‘It’s time I got to know my own
son.’ (page 100)
‘Rule number one, don’t sass your
old man.’ (page 105)
‘and he reaches out and touches
my face real gentle,’ (page 102)
‘He hooks his finger in my shirt
collar and makes me duck down
until the car goes by.’ (page 104)
‘He touches me real soft on the
back of the neck.’ (page 105)
‘Iggy gives this nervous heh heh
heh.’ (page 107)
‘“Bring me and my boy some
food,” my father says.’ (page 106)