How do Grim and Gram react to Max being declared a hero?

In chapter seven of Philbrick's Freak the Mighty, Kevin and Max go to the Fourth of July celebration in town. Since Max has to carry Kevin on his shoulders, he's in full control of where they go and how fast. When Max sees Tony D. and his gang, he takes off as fast as he can. Tony and his gang chase Max and Kevin, and eventually surround them within the crowd. In effort to...

In chapter seven of Philbrick's Freak the Mighty, Kevin and Max go to the Fourth of July celebration in town. Since Max has to carry Kevin on his shoulders, he's in full control of where they go and how fast. When Max sees Tony D. and his gang, he takes off as fast as he can. Tony and his gang chase Max and Kevin, and eventually surround them within the crowd. In effort to save themselves, Max runs straight into the pond, which happens to be mostly mud. Max is big enough to wade out farther than Tony can without getting stuck up to his neck in mud. Just when they think they are safe, Tony tells the gang of boys to start throwing rocks at Max and Kevin out in the pond. By this time Max is stuck in the mud as well and can't dodge the rocks. Fortunately, Kevin sees a cop car and whistles very loudly to get the cop's attention. It works, and the cops come over to settle the situation. 

In chapter eight, the cops bring Max home and Grim hoses him off in the front yard. Max says the following:

". . . the cops made out like I was a hero or something, rescuing the poor crippled midget kid. So Grim listens to the cops and then he gives me this weird look, like, imagine my surprise, and he goes in the house. . ." (41).

To celebrate Max's heroism, Gram gives him ice-cream and Grim gives him coffee. They talk about Tony D. and Max's strategy to always run when he sees the kid. Grim calls it "taking evasive action," not running away (43). By the end of the night, it seems as if Max has not only gained more trust with his grandparents, but he has bonded with them as well. This is significant because Max knows that they worry about him growing up to be like his father, Killer Kane. The more trust and bonds they can form between each other, the better their family life will be.