Maxwell Kane experiences one of the worst things that could ever happen to a kid. He witnesses the murder of his mother when he is four years-old, and then nearly ten years later, his dad kidnaps him and tries to tell him that he never killed her. Max reveals to his dad that he saw him murder his mom just before his friend Kevin saves the day by shooting soap, vinegar and curry powder from a squirt gun into the criminal's eyes. Fortunately, this gives the two boys time to escape to the police cars outside, but it is certainly a traumatizing experience.
Not only that, a little while later, Kevin dies and Max is left without his best friend in the whole world. All of this happens within a year that the story covers and Max, who had once needed Kevin to drag him out of his basement bedroom, reverts back to his old, avoid-the-world ways as he grieves. It would seem that nothing positive would come out of such terrifying experiences, but thanks to what Kevin left behind, Max emerges triumphant.
First, Kevin made Max his own dictionary so he could look up words and help himself to become smarter and better at reading. Then, before Kevin died, he gave Max a journal and told him to fill it up with all of the adventures that they went on together. Because of Kevin's friendship and belief in Max, the story Freak the Mighty is written down for others to enjoy. Max will probably be able to stay in the smart classes at school rather than going back to the L.D. classes (Learning Disabled) and he will be successful. Max ends the story as follows:
"So I wrote the unvanquished truth stuff down and then kept on going, for months and months, until it was spring again, and the world was really and truly green all over. By the time we got here, which I guess should be the end, I'm feeling okay about remembering things. And now that I've written a book who knows, I might even read a few" (160).
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