Voice in Freak the Mighty

Okey-dokey, I just had my morning cry. My son brought home a book I've long wanted to read, Freak the Mighty, and I devoured it. Gripping characters, great character names (a personal weakness!), and a plot that keeps you turning the pages...yeah, I'd definitely recommend this one.

It's a particularly great read for the children's writer, because it's the story of a boy finding his voice as he writes this book. It's also a great read for the children's writer because it's such an awesome example of voice. Check out this opening:

I never had a brain until Freak came along and let me borrow his for a while, and that's the truth, the whole truth. The unvanquished truth, is how Freak would say it, and for a long time it was him who did the talking. Except I had a way of saying things with my fists and my feet even before we became Freak the Mighty, slaying dragons and fools and walking high above the world.

The main character's voice is self-deprecatory, humble, and endearing...and completely his own. I bet I could read a random paragraph of this book anywhere, names changed, and recognize this voice. Wow. This one's on my read-again-to-study-craft list.

:) Cheryl