Freak the Mighty vertelt het verhaal van Max Kane, een zevende klasser die formidabel van gestalte is, maar worstelt met een niet-gediagnosticeerde leerstoornis en het trauma van het verliezen van zijn moeder door geweld op jonge leeftijd. Max' nieuwe buurman Kevin "Freak" Avery lijkt het tegenovergestelde te zijn. De kleine omvang van Freak is te wijten aan een zeldzame genetische aandoening waardoor hij moeilijk kan lopen. Nadat hij een vriendschap heeft gesloten, begint Max Freak op zijn schouders te dragen en zo wordt "Freak the Mighty" geboren!
Leerlingen kunnen de verschillende thema's, symbolen en motieven in Freak the Mighty volgen en een spinnenkaart maken die ze labelt, definieert en illustreert.
Storyboard Tekst
THE BLANK NOTEBOOK
"I want you to fill it up with our adventures."
MORQUIO SYNDROME
"I could tell you all the medical terminology, but what finally happened is his heart just got too big for his body."
FRIENDSHIP
"We're Freak the Mighty, that's who we are. We're nine feet tall, in case you haven't noticed." That's how it started, really, how we got to be Freak the Mighty, slaying dragons and fools and walking high above the world"
Before he goes for his "operation", Kevin gives Max a blank notebook and tells him to "fill it up with our adventures". In this way, Kevin shows Max that he believes in him and his ability to write. He also offers Max a way to remember him and their special times together. Without Max realizing it at the time, it also gives him a way to process his grief.
Freak/Kevin has "Morquio syndrome", which is a rare genetic condition that affects a child's bones and spine, organs and physical abilities. Kevin's organs continued growing while his skeletal system remained small. This is what caused him many health problems.
Kevin and Max develop an unlikely friendship. At first, Max is dumbfounded by Kevin's huge vocabulary and his physical differences. However he soon finds that Kevin is the most interesting person he's ever met and they form a close bond. They both lift each other up in different ways - even literally!
THE DICTIONARY
FREAK THE MIGHTYThemes, Symbols & Motifs
TRAUMA
FAMILY
Kevin gives Max a dictionary for Christmas. It is a hand-written book of all his favorite words along with insightful and humorous definitions. Since they bonded over storytelling, learning to read, and Freak increasing Max's vocabulary, this is a meaningful gift from the heart.
Max witnessed the violent loss of his mother at the hands of his father at the tender age of four. His trauma reveals itself in different ways: lashing out at school since pre-school, earning him the nickname "kicker", difficulty learning, nightmares, and being fearful of trusting or befriending anyone until "Freak" comes along.
Max suffered losing both his mother and his father to violence at a young age. He has been cared for by his grandparents who, too, are grieving the loss of their daughter. Kevin's father left when he was a baby apparently because of his medical issues and is raised by his single mother. However, together they form a loving and supportive family.