Rodman Philbrick Online

Philbrick is probably best know in the young adult literature world for Freak the Mighty, the story of an unusual pair of friends who go on adventures. I highly recommend this book. Philbrick’s website is a great resource for kids. It offers the standard information about the author, the books, and the awards, but it is obvious that Philbrick genuinely cares about his fans. He has posted pictures of himself, listed his mailing address and promised to read and reply to every letter he receives, answers the top ten questions he is asked, links teaching guides for his books that he has received, and encourages young authors to write and try to get published. He included links for the Scholastic writing contests with advice to be very careful about following the rules for entry because it is very easy to be disqualified. His links to information about the movie made from Freak the Mighty, information about the medical condition one of the boys in that book has, and to his personal blog are all a great touch for the site.

I am most impressed, however, by the fact that he shares the play he has written for Freak the Mighty. He says that he has heard from many teachers who have staged versions of the book and movie, and he thinks it is wonderful. When one of his close friends wanted to stage the book, he wrote a one-act and later a two-act version. He tried to get the play published, but when it was rejected, he decided to just give it to anyone who wants it. If you send him an email address, he will send the scripts for either the one-act or two-act versions in a PDF file for free. It is exciting to see a young adult author who is so willing to help kids and teachers.

This is a great site for a great author.  Check it out!