QUICKWRITES
Sponge Activity
What is your first impression of Max? What do you think of him? Describe his inner emotional side.
CHAPTER 1
Max
Nicknames
Max has been given nicknames his whole life – Mad Max, Max Factor, Maxi Pad. What do you think about nicknames? Are they good or bad? Why? Have you ever had a nickname? Tell the story of how you got it. Who gave it to you? Why? Do you like it or not? Why?
CHAPTER 1
Kevin
What is your first impression of Kevin (aka Freak)? What do you think of him? Describe how Max sees Kevin. Write a few details that show the attitude he has about Kevin.
CHAPTER 2
Crutches
When Freak throws his crutches down and crawls all the way across the lawn, what do we learn about him? Explain and analyze what this tells us about him.
CHAPTER 3
King Arthur
Why do you think Kevin connects so much with King Arthur? Why does he latch onto this legendary story? What kind of emotions does it give him? How does it affect how he sees himself?
CHAPTER 4
Mom
Why do you think Kevin's mom "almost runs home, like if she doesn't get away quick something really bad is going to happen"? Why is she feeling that way? Have you ever had feelings similar to the mom's? What did you have those feelings about? Explain why you had your feelings. How were they similar or different to the mom's?
CHAPTER 4
Float
Why do you think Max goes to that place under his bed where he can "float" and "not have to think about anything"? What kinds of things happen in his world that make him feel like he needs to go under the bed? What kinds of feelings is he having? Compare his feelings to a situation when you had similar feelings.
CHAPTER 5
Laughing
Freak and Max are telling robot stories and making each other laugh. Then Max is choking on hot dogs and food, and Freak has to help him get the food out. Describe a time when you had a similar experience of laughing and food. What was it like? What kind of food? Why were you laughing? What feelings did you have when you were choking? If you can't remember a time, try to imagine it and write those thoughts.
CHAPTER 5
Tony D.
Use details from the story to guess how Freak and Max are feeling when they get confronted by Tony D. and his gang.
CHAPTER 6
Traditions
Describe your memories of the Fourth of July. What traditions does your family have (if any)? What things do you notice about the adults with you at those events? How do the kids act differently than the adults? Why do you think the kids and adults have different experiences?
CHAPTER 6
Police
The police show up when Freak and Max are getting attacked. What are your thoughts about the police? How do you feel when the police show up? When they're nearby?
CHAPTER 7
Sobriquet
Why do you think they started using the name (sobriquet) "Freak the Mighty"? What do you think all its different words mean? How does the meaning fit them together? How does it fit them separately?
CHAPTER 7
Run Away
Gram and Grim have a little argument over whether Max should run away from guys like Tony D. and Blade or stand and take care of himself. What do you think? What have you been taught? Should someone get away or fight? Then what about Freak or Max ... should they run away or fight?
CHAPTER 8
One Foot
"Don't ever look down," Freak says to Max. "Just keep your eyes closed. One foot. Now the next."
How is this a helpful way to go through life? How might this be a hurtful approach? Explain the differences.
CHAPTER 9
Bionic
How would a bionic human robot suit make Freak's life better? What is he hoping the suit will do for him? How might it not give him what he's hoping to get?
CHAPTER 9
Remarkable
How are Max and Kevin equally "remarkable" boys? How are other "normal" people around them also remarkable?
CHAPTER 10
Bionics and a Mission
Choose one:
CHAPTERS 9 and 10
Poorer
Have you ever gone to an area of the city or world that is much poorer than where you live? Where? What was it like? What feelings did you have while you were there? What thoughts do you have about that experience in your life today?
CHAPTER 11
Iggy & Loretta
Imagine two characters are brought onto a talk show to discuss the events in chapter 11. Fill in the dialogue for the show, listing three questions from the host and responses from your chosen characters.
1. Host Question (provide name):
Response from (character’s name):
2. Host Question (provide name):
Response from (character’s name):
3. Host Question (provide name):
Response from (character’s name):
CHAPTER 11
Iggy & Loretta
Describe and analyze Iggy and Loretta. Describe their appearance, personalities, and relationship?
CHAPTER 11
School
What do you think it's like for kids like Max and Kevin to go to school? Describe the feelings, actions, reactions of the other kids. Describe how the other students act/don't act around them or with them. What do you think about their experience at school?
CHAPTER 12
Chanting
Analyze the class's chanting of Freak the Mighty. Why are they doing it? Discuss the various possible reasons. Why do they start? Why do they keep going? What is their motivation?
CHAPTER 12
Principal
Why do you think Max gets all panicky in the Principal's office? Describe and explain all the reasons you notice. Use words from the story to show your reasons.
CHAPTER 13
Changing
What do you think about the words Freak says: "No one stays like they are...everyone is always changing"? Discuss the ways the meaning is true or false in real life.
CHAPTER 14
Killer Kane
What do you think it's like for Max to have a dad nicknamed Killer Kane who's in jail? What do you think it's like to hear he might be getting out of jail?
CHAPTER 14
Tales
CHAPTER 15
Grim says, "Lies are mean things, tales are meant to entertain." What does he mean? Are stories and tales lies? Why or why not? How are they different than lies? And if stories aren't lies, then are they true? How or how not?
Gift
Describe Freak's gift to Max. What makes it so special? Why would Max think it was special and meaningful?
CHAPTER 15
Dad
Explain why Max goes with his dad (a guy named Killer Kane) who just got out of jail.
CHAPTER 16
Just Spin
Max's dad says that the people in this neighborhood "live like hamsters in cages. They have their little wheels to run on and that's what they do for their whole lives, they run and get nowhere. They just spin" (103). What does he mean? How are they like hamsters? What are their little wheels? Why aren't they getting anywhere? Where could they be going, instead of just spinning?
CHAPTER 16
Jesus’s Eyes
That trick picture of Jesus with the eyes sure shows up in a clever spot in the story. Write about Jesus's eyes and what they might be saying about this timing in the plot, this location in the scenes, this situation for the character.
CHAPTER 17
Deadly
What impression do you have of Max's dad so far? How does he seem like a deadly ex-convict? How does he seem innocent and harmless? Use details from the story to support your ideas.
CHAPTER 17
Church Man
What do you think about the dad’s plan to pretend to be a holy church man to tell his redemption story so people will give them money? What feelings rise up in you in response to his plan? When have you experienced these feelings before about religion? Are your thoughts really about religion or about Max's dad? Explain.
CHAPTER 18
Wisdom
Predict into the future. Do you think Max is going to listen to his dad's wisdom and advice about everything? He keeps saying, "Yes, sir, I do." What about Loretta and Iggy's advice? Why or why not?
CHAPTER 18
Friends
Analyze Loretta and Iggy's relationship with Max and his mom. Use quotes/proof from the story to support your ideas.
CHAPTER 19
Memories
Can kids really remember things as far back as Max is saying he remembers things? Write about your earliest/youngest memory you can think of. Describe the scene, the people, and the events in the memory.
CHAPTER 20
Jail Time
Explore Max's feelings when he hears his dad will have to serve out the rest of his original sentence plus ten years. Discuss his various feelings. Then compare his reactions to what you think yours might be if you were in his shoes.
CHAPTER 21
What Counts
Who did you get your looks, size, and heart from: Mom, Dad, someone else? Apparently, your heart is "what counts," so describe what you think your heart is like (not the muscle, the deeper heart). Why has it become the way it is?
CHAPTER 21
Experience
Freak says that "memory is an invention of the mind," that you "can remember anything, whether it happened or not" (142). What do you think about that idea? Are memories limited to what you actually experienced with your own senses? Do you have memories of events that you were never at, that maybe your mom or dad told you about and now you have a memory? How do you have those "memories" if they aren't "memories"? What are they then?
CHAPTER 22
Waiting
At the end of the chapter when Fair Gwen says, "There's nothing we can do except wait," what is she talking about? Or better yet, what is Rodman Philbrick talking about (you know, the author)? Are they just "waiting" for the ambulance? What else might they be waiting for? What things does life make us wait for? Can we do anything besides wait for those things?
CHAPTER 22
Blank
If you had a blank journal to write the adventures you've had, which one would you write first? Write it now.
CHAPTER 23
Adventure
Write another adventure you've had. Use descriptive language.
CHAPTER 23
Lies
Explain why Kevin made up the story about the scientists creating a robot body for him.
CHAPTER 24
Too Big
What is the deeper meaning of the doctor's words: "His heart finally got too big for his body"? Use details/examples from the story to add support for the meaning that you see.
CHAPTER 24
Going to Die
Max thinks the question, "What does it really matter if we're all going to die in the end?" Try to answer his question. You're welcome to use details from the story to support you ideas.
CHAPTER 25
No Freak
Is it actually possible to feel like "the world was really and truly green all over"? How is Max able to feel this way after losing such a good friend, after losing half of Freak the Mighty? How is he able to be Mighty without Freak?
CHAPTER 25