Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes

Brawn and Brains: Two Unlikely Friends
Freak the Mighty is a story of self-discovery, identity, and people who are different. It's about an unlikely friendship between a genius with a dying body and a kid with psychological struggles and a body too big. In some ways, if you put the two friends together, they equal one Charlie Gordon. There's lots to discuss in the whole "who am I and where do I fit in this world" category.

Use What You've Got
Throughout the whole story, Charlie is starving, for knowledge. He wants friends, he wants to please his mom, and he wants to learn for the pure joy of knowing. Hopefully, your kiddos grasp how powerful their minds are and are thirsty for finding things out, whether it's how to make video games, designing clothes, or figuring out how fast rockets really can go. Let them browse around Shmoop's career guide and see some of the possibilities out there.