Even when he's breaking the rules, he's still playing nice. The only nasty thing Moose does in the whole book is give his sister extra treats to spite his mom-after getting kicked of the baseball team: 'I go home like I'm supposed to, but the second my mom leaves, I let Natalie get her buttons and I give her as much lemon cake as she wants. He may say, 'Scout's the only real friend I've made so far and apparently I've lost him already' (19.1)-making it clear Moose is one lonely kid-but he never acts rude of rebellious. Still, though, despite being moved to a tiny island filled with prisoners, loaded with responsibility for his sister (at one point he tells his mom, ''nobody takes his sister with him everywhere he goes'' (13.29), and getting shunned at school because he's too busy helping his mom with Natalie to play baseball with his new friends, Moose still manages to let his good side shine through. Which basically no twelve year old ever wants to do. In other words, whether it's his good manners and thoughtful ways, or his towering height, Moose kind of sticks out. His teacher makes fun of the poor kid when she asks him 'big for seventh grade, aren't you, Mr. Plus, at the age of twelve, he's nearly six feet tall. Piper constantly teases him, saying things like: 'They teach you how to be a nice little church boy in Santa Monica?' (9.75). Plus, he's not the only one giving himself a hard time about being the good kid on the block. These are all good qualities-don't get us (or Moose) wrong-it's just that he can take himself lightly enough to admit that sometimes he wish he were the daring type instead. Moose is a play-by-the-rules, do-the-right-thing kind of kid.

What do we mean? We'll let him explain this himself: 'I was born responsible. Matthew 'Moose' Flanagan Nice Little Church Boyīegrudgingly, Moose is the hero of our tale.

In the book al capone does my shirts