 [Larger view] | Al Capone Does My Shirts (Newbery Honor Book)
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| "Al Capone Does My Shirts" | |
| "Al Capone Does My Shirts" is about a 12-year old boy named Moose, whose family moves to Alcatraz in 1934 for his dad's job as a prison guard there. If you don't know, Alcatraz is a maximum-security prison on a rocky island across the bay from San Francisco. Although it is no longer in use, in the 1930's, Alcatraz was prison sweet prison to such notorious gangsters as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. You could understand why Moose isn't excatly thrilled to live there. But the other reason they moved is so his sister, Natalie, could go to the Esther P. Marinoff school. Natalie has a disease that is today called autism, but was unidentified in the 30's. Moose, wanting his sister to be "normal", agrees to move for her sake. Still, he isn't happy about living on what he calls "a 12-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turds and surrounded by water". But the other families that live on Alcatraz might change his mind. This book is both funny and sad, and Moose is very easy to relate to. Other very dynamic characters make "Al Capone Does My Shirts" interesting. You'll finish it quickly and wish it were longer. | |
| Every 10-12 year old should read this book | |
| My 10 year old daughter read this book in just over 2 days! She could not put it down!!! After reading Choldenko's "Notes from a Liar and her Dog" she could not wait for this to be published. We are buying them as gifts for many summer birthdays. I am now reading it and am thrown right back into my childhood of many years ago. Well written (as was the first), gets right into a 10-12 year olds way of thinking. Children between these ages will be able to totally relate. We can't wait for next one! | |
| a sensational read | |
| Twelve-year-old Moose Flannagan doesn't know how to feel about his new home. Sure, it's neat to live right in San Francisco Bay, but the neighbors leave something to be desired. You see, Moose and his family live on Alcatraz Island, where Moose's father has a new job as electrician and prison guard. At school on the mainland, Moose is a bit of a misfit. Not only do the other guys think living on Alcatraz is a little weird, they also don't understand why Moose can't stay after school to play baseball. Instead, Moose has to head home to watch his sister Natalie. Natalie has autism, a condition that had not even been identified in 1935, when this novel is set. No one is quite sure how to deal with Natalie. Most "experts" tell the Flannagans to put her in an institution, but the family would rather try a variety of experimental therapies, which yield mostly disappointing results. Moose is the only one who can really reach Natalie, and he constantly clashes with his mother about the best way to work with her. Moose and Natalie discover a new kind of community among the several families who live on Alcatraz Island, including bossy seven-year-old Theresa and the warden's manipulative, sneaky (but also kind of cute) daughter Piper. In the end, the kids cooperate --- with a little help from Al Capone himself --- to find a place where Natalie can finally belong. Believe it or not, this novel's unusual setting is based on fact --- the families of Alcatraz prison guards actually did live on the island. The author includes a helpful note explaining the historical facts behind the story, as well as a brief note about autism. What really makes this a winning novel, though, is not the setting but its main character. Moose, who narrates the story, is responsible and trustworthy in spite of himself. The love he feels for his sister despite the frustrations she causes him shines through all his words. The relationships among Moose, his hardworking father and his well-meaning mother are also rich and dynamic. Even without its connection to the famous mobster, AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS would still be a real hit. (...) |
