Al Capone Does My Shirts

Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. Esther P. Marinoff School for those with intellectual disabilities (Chapter 1)

2. Theresa Mattaman (Chapter 2)

3. The convicts (Chapter 5)

Short Answer

1. When Moose first describes Alcatraz, he says it is a “rock covered with cement topped with a bird turd and surrounded by water.” (Chapter 1) He is uneasy about living so close to a prison and describes the houses as being nothing but cement. These statements indicate that Moose believes the island itself is not visually appealing and is cold and dangerous. (Various chapters)

2. Moose is simultaneously protective of his sister and confused about her behavior. He explains that he is never sure what will “set her off.” (Chapter 2) An example of this is when he did not greet Natalie one morning, and she cried for two hours afterward. He is insecure about others meeting Natalie because he is afraid they will not understand her either. (Various chapters)

3. Theresa has been given the task of looking for newly dead criminals on the island. She was assigned this task by Piper. (Chapter 3)

Chapters 7-12

Reading Check

1. Baseball (Chapter 7)

2. Mrs. Kelly (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. Piper decides to sell laundry service to the kids at school by hiding their laundry with the laundry of the families whose laundry is washed by the convicts. Piper plans to charge five cents per shirt and split it between the group. (Chapter 7)

2. Natalie is sent home from school because she yells early in the morning and appears to be unsettled at school. Mr. Prudy tells the Flanagans they cannot have someone who is disruptive in their neighborhood, implying that the school is in a nice location. (Various chapters)

Chapters 13-18

Reading Check

1. Their schedule (Chapter 14)

2. Her button box (Chapter 18)

Short Answer

1. Mrs. Kelly believes the best strategy to “change” Natalie is to remove her comfort objects from her. Mrs. Kelly instructs the family to take Natalie’s button box away and tells the family that Natalie’s behavior will change if the family changes first. She instructs Natalie to spend more time with Moose to help Natalie “join the human race.” Moose is concerned because his mother has gotten her hopes up about strategies for Natalie in the past and sunk into a deep depression when the strategies did not work. (Chapter 13)

2. When Piper returns the clothing washed by convicts to her peers, they are angry because they expected their clothing to indicate in some way that they were washed by convicts. The students had hoped to see blood or bullet holes in the shirts. (Chapter 16)

Chapters 19-22

Reading Check

1. Del Peabody’s father (Chapter 19)

2. The inmates’ mail (Chapter 21)

Short Answer

1. Moose and his friends immediately try to calm Natalie because they are concerned about her when she curls into a ball. Helen becomes angry when she crosses the path of the kids because Natalie is making a “spectacle” and she is embarrassed for Natalie. The children are motivated by concern, and Helen is motivated by how others see her. (Chapter 20)

2. When Mrs. Capone enters the prison on Alcatraz, the metal detector goes off, and Mrs. Capone is strip-searched because she speaks Italian and is unable to communicate effectively. Mrs. Capone leaves the prison embarrassed and without having seen her son. Moose understands that Al was once a young kid, too. Mrs. Capone’s attachment to children is evident when she offers to hold Theresa’s sister. (Chapter 22)

Chapters 23-28

Reading Check

1. A convict’s baseball (Chapter 23)

2. 105 (Chapter 24)

Short Answer

1. Moose’s first impression of Piper is later clouded by her superior attitude and unfair treatment of him and Natalie. Piper calls Natalie the r-word and berates her. Piper is also involved with the scheme to have the convicts clean other students’ laundry, but Piper’s father doesn’t hold her accountable–only the other children who were involved are held accountable. It is likely that Moose is no longer attracted to Piper because of her personality. (Various chapters)

2. Moose sees a change in Natalie as they spend more time together. He is surprised when she makes eye contact and even more surprised when she approaches a convict. Moose finds himself enjoying his time with Natalie and feels closer to her than he has before. (Various chapters)

Chapters 29-35

Reading Check

1. Piper (Chapter 29)

2. Convict 105 (Chapter 33)

Short Answer

1. Piper is always scheming in one way or another to see what she can get from the convicts. She uses Mrs. Capone to attempt to meet Al Capone. When Piper’s plan fails, she attempts to exploit the relationship between Natalie and Convict 105 to learn about Al Capone. (Various chapters)

2. Helen refuses to face the reality that Natalie is not 10 years old and is never going to be like everyone else. Moose confronts Helen with this reality, and she continues to deny it until Cam becomes involved in the argument. Moose wants Natalie to be treated like a person, and his empathetic plea is heard by both Helen and Cam. Moose’s plea inspires Cam to view Natalie as his daughter rather than an object of pity. (Chapter 35)

Chapters 36-40

Reading Check

1. Al Capone (Chapter 37)

2. “Done” (Chapter 40)

Short Answer

1. When Mrs. Kelly loses Natalie’s focus, she asks Natalie what she thinks Moose is up to. The question regains Natalie’s focus and highlights the importance of Moose to his sister. Natalie likes to think about Moose. (Chapter 37)

2. Moose writes a note to Al Capone, asking for his help. While Capone has not replied to Piper’s notes in the past, Moose does get confirmation when he receives a letter in the shirt that was washed in the prison, indicating that Capone had fulfilled his wishes. (Various chapters)