Teacher friends who have been following me on the blog for a while know how passionate I am about the powerful teaching tool that is the middle school novel study. I strongly believe that the novel study can be the backbone of the middle school ELA curriculum. Exposure to well chosen and engaging texts is crucial to student reading success. These important books help students practice deep thinking and reading comprehension strategies.
Looking for some no prep resources to help you bring this novel to life in your classroom? Click on the image or button below to download the resources from my TPT shop!
As the new year approaches, I have been asked by multiple followers for suggestions for a great read aloud novel to start the year off right. After much contemplation, I present you with my all time favorite middle school novel study for the beginning of the school year – Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Below I share some of the top reasons behind my suggestion.
For more information on teaching specific novels, you won’t want to miss our posts on teaching Wonder, The Hunger Games, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Outsiders!
On the hunt for some engaging graphic organizers that you can use with ANY novel study? Check out this post – and grab an exclusive free resource!
Emily Style once stated that “education needs to enable the student to look through window frames in order to see the realities of others and into mirrors in order to see her/his own reality reflected”. The main characters in Freak the Mighty provide strong windows and mirrors for middle school kids to connect to.
The protagonists in the story are going into eighth grade, and the author does a fantastic job of portraying them as realistic middle school kids. Sometimes, characters around this age group can seem much older (Katniss in “The Hunger Games” or Ponyboy in “The Outsiders”, for example). This makes them harder for students of a similar age to connect to. Other times, middle school kids in novels can seem much younger (Augie in “Wonder”, for example). In Freak the Mighty, however, one can easily imagine both Kevin and Max sitting right next to them in class.
The realistic portrayal of characters continues as readers learn that both characters are outsiders. This can be a great mirror for the outsiders in your own class. It gives them characters they can easily identify with and help them see that they are not alone. The characters also provide strong windows for the rest of your group, building empathy as they see the importance of being accepting of those with differences.
For some great information (and a fun freebie!) to help you teach character analysis, you won’t want to miss our post on character traits!
Classroom discussion opportunities are plentiful when working through Freak the Mighty with your learners. The book features two unexpected heroes who prove that courage comes in all sizes. Through this, students can see that they too can be heroes of their own stories.
To encourage and structure our discussions, I like to use these Freak the Mighty Group Discussion Cards (grab them for FREE by clicking here or on the image below).
The first way I have used these cards with my learners involves small group discussion. First, I divide the class into groups. Then, I give each group a couple of task cards, some chart paper, and some markers. Groups discuss the answers to the questions. Then, they write their answers down on the chart paper. When done, student groups present their answers to the class. I love this activity because each group ends up becoming experts on a few select questions, and are able to share their expertise with the entire class.
The second way I use these cards involves an “Around the Room Discussion”. First, I tape each task card to a sheet of chart paper, and hang the chart paper around the classroom (or hallway, or outdoor space). Students silently and individually walk around and add their answers to the chart paper. I encourage students to expand on each other’s answers (in an appropriate way). When done, I bring the class back together and we share the results as a class. If you have students that tend to be too shy to share their thoughts in a group setting, this can be a really great way to encourage them to share their thinking!
The length of the chapters is one of my favorite things about Freak the Mighty. I love how the chapters are short enough that you can read one out loud at the start of class without taking up too much class time.
Reading the novel aloud to the class, instead of having them read on their own, is fantastic for differentiation. As teachers, we know that readers are able to comprehend text at a much higher level than they can actually read. Reading aloud helps our struggling readers get the most out of the story.
If you struggle with keeping your students on task during a class read aloud, you may want to check out this post on read aloud accountability!
The sequel, Max the Mighty, follows Max after the loss of his good friend Kevin. It is a great book for learners yearning to continue on with the adventure.
Books with sequels are high on my list of choices for classroom novel studies. This is simply because they encourage students to read more. Often, students fall in love with the characters and their adventures when reading. Because of this, they are often inspired to pick up the next in the series when we are finished. I make sure to have multiple copies of the sequel kicking around my room for this purpose. They are often some of the first books signed out of my classroom library.
Click here or on the image below to visit my TPT shop and pick up a copy of the COMPLETE Freak the Mighty novel study. It contains comprehension questions, graphic organizers, and engaging projects and activities. It is a TPT Best Seller – over 2,000 copies have been sold!
If you are struggling with choosing the perfect book for your next novel study, you won’t want to miss our lists of favorite middle school and upper elementary novels!
Check out these related blog posts below!
Click here or on the image below to download these FREE Graphic Organizers to use with ANY novel study! The FREE download contains 25 different templates!
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