The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds

They say opposites attract. That is very true in the case of Max and Kevin. Max, a self-described “butthead goon,” is an extra large eighth grader labeled learning disabled. Kevin, known as Freak, is highly intelligent and suffers from a rare dwarfism syndrome. Literally put the two together — Freak rides on Max’s shoulders — and you’ve got Freak the Mighty, brawn and brains out for adventure, fighting the good fight for good causes.

Unless you are one of the genetically improved that are permitted to live in Eden, you live in the Urb, the ragged ruins of a once great city. Spaz lives there, surviving by stealing for the gang lead by Billy Bizmo. When Spaz is ordered to rob Ryter, he gets more than the old man’s meager possessions — he finds a friend who is willing to help him help his dying sister.

Homer Figg’s tales of his adventures are only mostly true as sometimes he tends to exaggerate. But an awfully lot of interesting and unusual things do happen to him as he sets off to find his brother Harold who has been handed over to the Union Army by their rotten Uncle Squint.

Small boy, small boat, big dreams, big fish. If twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman can hook a valuable bluefin tuna, he’ll have the money to repair his father’s fishing boat and get his family back on their feet-and not just financially. Depression over the death of Skiff’s mother has left Skiff’s father a couch-bound alcoholic. Skiff is determined to help his dad and honor the promise he made to his mother.