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Al Capone Does My Shirts
Al Capone Shines My Shoes
Al Capone Does My Homework
Al Capone Throws Me a Curve
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4. Who is your favorite character in Al Capone Does My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes?

I love all my characters otherwise I’d kick them out of the book. As a matter of fact, in an early draft of Al Capone Does My Shirts I had Moose, Natalie, Piper and two other kid characters who lived on the island. I was all the way through the draft when I realized, hey these boys aren’t working. They were well-developed characters but they didn’t fit in the book somehow, so I booted them out and I began to develop two new characters: Jimmy and Annie. The character Theresa was completely unplanned. One day I realized Jimmy had a little sister and then all of a sudden Theresa jumped on the page. I had a little trouble with Theresa in Al Capone Shines My Shoes because she wanted to take over the book. But this doesn’t answer the question does it? I guess I would have to say asking me my favorite character is like asking your mom who her favorite child is … I love all my characters in different ways.

5. What happened with 105?

What I’ve written about the convict 105 aka Onion is exactly what I want you to know about him. No more. No less.

     
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