Al Capone Does My Shirts: Chapter 7: Big for Seventh Grade Summary & Analysis

It’s now Monday, Moose’s first day of school. He’s so nervous, as it’s midyear, nobody else will want to make friends, and he only knows Piper, whom he considers an enemy. Did Natalie feel this way? Sometimes Moose feels like Natalie has things easier, as people force her to do things, but he has to force himself. Moose enters his classroom, and the teacher introduces herself as Miss Bimp. She then asks if Moose has the right seventh-grade advanced English class, as he’s “big for seventh grade.” She finally sends him to sit in the back and then asks everyone to compose a speech about what they did over Christmas vacation.

A boy named Scout goes first. Moose doesn’t pay attention until he notices that Scout has a baseball glove under his seat. By passing notes, Moose learns that Scout plays every Monday—and Scout invites him to play. Piper gives her speech next about caroling for the convicts on Alcatraz, listing Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Roy Gardner by name. Other kids are in awe, and Piper sweetly says that Moose also lives on Alcatraz and can share stories. Moose is surprised and annoyed: Piper is doing exactly what the warden said not to do, and she’ll tell her dad if Moose talks about Capone. If Moose doesn’t talk, everyone at school will hate him.

Before Moose knows it, it’s his turn. He talks about moving from Santa Monica to Alcatraz because Dad is the electrician on Alcatraz. One night, he says, Mom didn’t feel like cooking, so Dad brought food home from the cell block kitchen. Though he scoffs that he wasn’t scared, in reality, he was—he skipped dinner. Piper shakes her head and adds that Moose could’ve been killed; on Alcatraz, they could be poisoned at any time. Miss Bimp sends Moose back to his seat, but on his way, Moose trips and spills ink on his pants. When class is over, he runs after Piper and confirms that they’re not supposed to talk about Alcatraz. She smiles sweetly when he says he mentioned Alcatraz because she did.

Hurrying on, Piper asks if Moose is going to help with her project: they’re going to sell the Alcatraz laundry service to their classmates. Kids will get in line to have Al Capone or Roy Gardner wash their shirts. They’ll charge five cents per shirt and split the money four ways with Jimmy and Annie, who are going to help put laundry through in their family’s laundry bags. Moose asks if the warden knows, and Piper snorts and ducks in a doorway. Moose tries to follow her, but it’s the girls’ bathroom.