ANSWER KEY

Freak the Mighty

Chapter 1

Freak the Mighty gives us a lot of information to ask about in the first chapter. You'll know Max and his friend a lot better from the start if you ask yourself "why" along the way, and think of possible answers.

Here are some good "why" questions to try to answer. Take a guess if you don't know for sure -- and look/listen for the answer as you read the book.

1. Grim means serious, not happy. Why would Max call his grandfather "Grim?"

Perhaps Max thinks Grim is mean because he overhears Grim talking about how Max is becoming like his father, whom they obviously don’t like.


2. Max said that Gram and Grim "took me over." This means they started taking care of him. What are two reasons this could happen?

1. Max’s mom has died.


2. Max’s dad is out of the picture or can’t be trusted with Max for some reason.

3. What does Max mean when he says he "had a way of saying things with my fists and my feet"?

Max expresses his emotions through his actions. He doesn’t know how to communicate calmly and verbally.


4. Why might Max say that "hug stuff" was "a lie?"

He feels that Gram and Grim don’t truly care about him, so why would they be hugging him. Maybe they are trying to manipulate him in some way.


5. Why might Gram and Grim talk about Max's father "like his name is too scary to say"?

They don’t like him because of something he must have done in the past, apparently at night while everyone was sleeping.

6. Why might Max's father be scary?

He may have hurt Max and his mom, done something illegal, acted violently, or threatened their safety in some way.

7. Why might Freak be called Freak?

He is shorter than the other kids, acts like a robot, walks with crutches, and has death-ray eyes.

LEARNING LOG

1. Give this chapter a new title. Consider what has happened and the feelings in the chapter.

Answers will vary.

2. Setting: Identify the main setting of the chapter.
A. Time: Max’s childhood
B. Place: school (daycare to elementary school)

3. In three or four sentences, summarize what happens in this chapter.

Max tells us that he never had a brain until he met Freak. He lives with his grandparents who don’t like his father or that Max is becoming like him. Max and Freak meet in daycare. Then Freak moves into the neighborhood.

4. Questions: What are two questions you could ask about the characters you've been introduced to?

1. Answers will vary.

2.