Al Capone Does My Homework

After the promotion of Moose’s father to associate warden, Warden Williams asks Moose, “Think you can handle the responsibility?” (11). Toward the end of the novel, his father suggests that he has taken on too much responsibility. How effectively does Moose handle responsibility? How does his perception of responsibility evolve throughout the novel?

Throughout Al Capone Does My Homework, both Piper and Annie make sacrifices to help Moose, but in the end, he decides that Annie is the truer friend. Compare and contrast the two girls and their relationship with Moose. What factors contribute to Moose's decision in favor of Annie's trustworthiness over Piper's? How do Moose’s relationships with Piper and Annie relate to the theme of Moral Decision-Making in a Young Person’s Life?

Gennifer Choldenko has said that children are often more observant than grownups because they are free of the distractions of jobs, household management, social pressures, and other adult worries. Which of the novel’s characters illustrate this? Give examples of how these children prove themselves after being ignored or underestimated.