What grade level is Freak the Mighty?

Freak the Mighty is listed for grades 6–9. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 3 to grade 9. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read Freak the Mighty?

It takes about 3h 15m to read Freak the Mighty (176 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 195 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Freak the Mighty?

Freak the Mighty appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Nebraska Golden Sower Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Freak the Mighty banned in schools?

Freak the Mighty does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.

What themes does Freak the Mighty explore?

Central themes in Freak the Mighty include learning disabilities, people with disabilities, friendship, physically handicapped.

Freak the Mighty

Name: Freak the Mighty
Availability: InStock
Author: W. R. Philbrick
ISBN: 9780439286060

by W. R. Philbrick · Grades 6–9 · Adventure

Freak the Mighty by W. R. Philbrick is on US reading lists at grades 6–9. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 11–14 · Grades 6–9 · 176 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780439286060). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:California Young Reader Medal Nebraska Golden Sower Award

This page shows where Freak the Mighty is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range: Grades 6–9
Age range: Ages 11–14
Pages: 176
Reading time: about 3h 15m (est.)
First published: 1989
Genre: Adventure
ISBN-13: 9780439286060

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 3?

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New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)

On award reading lists: California Young Reader Medal (source: californiayoungreadermedal.org)
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (source: nlc.nebraska.gov)
Catalog record: First published 1989 · 176 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Freak the Mighty→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This adventure title is typically read at grades 6–9. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on learning disabilities and people with disabilities; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Themes

learning disabilities · people with disabilities · friendship · physically handicapped

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Freak the Mighty?: Freak the Mighty is listed for grades 6–9. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 3 to grade 9. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Freak the Mighty?: It takes about 3h 15m to read Freak the Mighty (176 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 195 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Freak the Mighty?: Freak the Mighty appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Nebraska Golden Sower Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Freak the Mighty banned in schools?: Freak the Mighty does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does Freak the Mighty explore?: Central themes in Freak the Mighty include learning disabilities, people with disabilities, friendship, physically handicapped.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure: Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band: Grades 6–9 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 2 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.