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Gennifer Choldenko

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Al Capone Does My Shirts (Tales from Alcatraz) Hardcover – March 30, 2004

by Gennifer Choldenko (Author)

4.6 2,200 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Al Capone

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Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and when she's denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose's family has used for dealing with her disorder.

When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she's trouble. But she's also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents' expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.

Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island with their families. Choldenko's second novel brings humor to the complexities of family dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the "good boy" stance he's taken his whole life.

Reading age

10 - 12 years, from customers
Book 1 of 3

Al Capone
Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Grade level

5 - 6
Lexile measure

600L
Dimensions

5.75 x 0.84 x 8.5 inches
Publisher

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date

March 30, 2004
ISBN-10

0399238611
ISBN-13

978-0399238611
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8--In this appealing novel set in 1935, 12-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family move from Santa Monica to Alcatraz Island where his father gets a job as an electrician at the prison and his mother hopes to send his autistic older sister to a special school in San Francisco. When Natalie is rejected by the school, Moose is unable to play baseball because he must take care of her, and her unorthodox behavior sometimes lands him in hot water. He also comes to grief when he reluctantly goes along with a moneymaking scheme dreamed up by the warden's pretty but troublesome daughter. Family dilemmas are at the center of the story, but history and setting--including plenty of references to the prison's most infamous inmate, mob boss Al Capone--play an important part, too. The Flanagan family is believable in the way each member deals with Natalie and her difficulties, and Moose makes a sympathetic main character. The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island.--Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Twelve-year-old Moose moves to Alcatraz in 1935 so his father can work as a prison guard and his younger, autistic sister, Natalie, can attend a special school in San Francisco. It is a time when the federal prison is home to notorious criminals like gangster Al Capone. Depressed about having to leave his friends and winning baseball team behind, Moose finds little to be happy about on Alcatraz. He never sees his dad, who is always working; and Natalie's condition-- her tantrums and constant needs--demand all his mother's attention. Things look up for Moose when he befriends the irresistible Piper, the warden's daughter, who has a knack for getting Moose into embarrassing but harmless trouble. Helped by Piper, Moose eventually comes to terms with his new situation. With its unique setting and well-developed characters, this warm, engaging coming-of-age story has plenty of appeal, and Choldenko offers some fascinating historical background on Alcatraz Island in an afterword. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (March 30, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0399238611
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0399238611
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 600L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.84 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #463,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #518 in Children's 1900s American Historical Fiction
- #1,657 in Children's Siblings Books (Books)
- #3,355 in Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy

Customer Reviews:
4.6 2,200 ratings

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About the author

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Gennifer Choldenko

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There’s a Lego in my bum which fits with the Lego in my chair and when I sit down to write, I hear the satisfying snap of the two pieces fitting together. I love words, dictionaries, thesauruses, sharp pencils, the smell of book ink and the delicious art of carving out sentences on clean white paper. I love to slip into another person’s skin and feel what it’s like to live another life. I love when characters come to me out of nowhere and make me cry so hard my mascara runs or laugh until my stomach hurts. I love the crazy fun and infinite possibility of storytelling.

What prepared me for a life of writing fiction? Though I have a BA from Brandeis University in English and American Literature and a BFA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, the true answer is probably genes. I come from a long line of Irish storytellers on my father’s side and theatre people on my mother’s. I always knew I loved to write, but it took me a long time to summon the courage to chase the dream. I finally went for it when I realized I would prefer to be a failure at something I wanted to do, then a success at something I didn’t.

While I was pretending I wasn’t a writer, trying to be a nice person with a nice quiet job somewhere, I sold lingerie, lipstick and lamp shades. I wrote junk mail. I taught visually and hearing-impaired kids horseback riding. I held a prestigious job in rubbish removal and I worked in a factory wearing a paper gown while wielding a large mallet on small serving packages of ketchup.

One Third Nerd, my funniest novel yet, is due out in January 2019. My most famous novel, Al Capone Does My Shirts, garnered 20 awards, one of which was the Newbery Honor. The Tales of Alcatraz series has sold more than 2 million copies. What will probably be the last book in the series: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve is the best of the fifteen books I’ve written so far.

I am a fitness fanatic; a book-obsessed, tennis-playing woman who thinks like a twelve-year-old. If I ever get the good fortune to meet you, offer me coffee and I will be your friend for life.

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4.6 out of 5

2,200 global ratings

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Lauren Johnson

Good Book

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023

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This is a great book for students who hate to read. It is very engaging and funny.

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2023

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I wanted to read this book because some people want to ban it.
1. One of your negative reviewers mentioned "It's full of vulgar words and very violent." I know some people find the use of "Jesus", when not used as a religious reference, offensive. It occurs three times; there are no other "vulgar" words in the book.
2. Some reviewers didn't like the way in which Moose's (main character) autistic older sister is treated. Her parents keep trying to "cure" her. Twelve year old Moose is charged with watching her when not in school. Is that fair - no, but parents make do. The story takes place in the 1930's, and treatment/education of autistic children was limited.
3. Moose likes a girl who tends to get him in trouble because he likes the way she looks. Moose is twelve; preteen kids don't always think about consequences.

I know this sounds as if I didn't like the book; I did. My three points are meant to serve as a rebuttal for some of the negative reviews. As a retired special education teacher, I think that there are some interesting ways to work with this book.

5 people found this helpful

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Alex G.

Great historical read for children

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2013

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The book, Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko tells the story of a family who moves to Alcatraz in 1935 due to the father's job. The location of this family's move is not the only oddity of the plot. One of the main characters, Natalie, is described to have what we would classify today as Autism. Although the book never comes out and directly says Natalie has Autism, this is not unusual for the time period, because Autism isn't recognized until 1943, eight years after this book takes place. Due to the fact that no one in the book recognizes Natalie's true disability there are many questions looming between the family, outsiders, and doctors about how to handle and take care of Natalie. The book portrays Natalie's disability as accurately as it could in 1935. The interactions between her and others, mostly other children, are displayed as they would most likely take place now. There is skepticism, questions, and bluntness that comes from the children, but also ultimately acceptance. On Alcatraz Natalie's parents find it safe enough for her to spend amble time outdoors with her brother, as well as the other children on the island. Although it is only a small group of children that live on the island, Natalie is at most times fully included into their daily play and adventures. Throughout the book there is some degree of resistance from a few of the children, but nothing more than what one would expect from an 11-yearold growing up in a society that is uneducated about the disability that Natalie possesses. Despite the fact that no one really knows how to address Natalie's disability she is still almost fully included. Her level of inclusion in society is appropriately high given her circumstances and environment. The small number of children on the island allow her to be included in the group, without having an overwhelming amount of children around her, and the children that are included in the group is always constant, allowing Natalie to get to know and feel comfortable with the others and without having to experience a lot of day-to-day change. This book would be appropriate to use on a middle school level, depending on the reading level of the students. Being a Social Studies teacher I would use this book because of it's historical elements, but also as a way to introduce and start a discussion within the classroom about disabilities. Since the book never comes out and says what Natalie's disability is, it is easier for the reader to not characterize and prejudge her abilities by knowing that she has Autism. Without knowing this the reader can more easily separate Natalie as another one of the children in the book and her disability. Al Capone Does My Shirts is an educational and entertaining read. It is a great book for anyone to use that is looking to spark a discussion about disabilities and inclusion with children in a way that they will find easy to relate to and understand.

8 people found this helpful

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Pop Bop

novel premise, told with humor and skill

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2011

Verified Purchase

I'm a big fan of tween coming-of-age books, and there are lots of good ones. But, you know, many of them are classics built on nostalgia for a rural past. That's fine, but a little bit of "how I spent my summer down on the farm" with Grama, my cousin, my uncle, or my foster family, goes a long way with modern kids.
This novel gives us a strong protagonist, with strong parents, a challenging sibling situation, and a novel setting. All of that is fine by me. The writing style is effective and straightforward, but doesn't overreach. The book earns its emotional punch over time; it doesn't try to bully you emotionally or stylistically, which I think is fine for the target readership.
So, definitely worth a try.

6 people found this helpful

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Mitra Asmani

Book for literature circles

Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2023

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I love that book I used it for literature circles.

Ernesto R.

Se compró para la escuela

Reviewed in Mexico on September 5, 2023

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Se compró para la escuela que así lo pidió, el libro llegó en tiempo y forma.

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Belén Martín

Tal cual lo esperaba.

Reviewed in Spain on June 11, 2020

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Tal y como lo esperaba.

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roma

Good read

Reviewed in India on July 17, 2019

Verified Purchase

Good read for teenagers

Sandra Doringer

Livre drôle et émouvant

Reviewed in France on August 19, 2018

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Le titre de ce livre m'a interpellée et j'ai été agréablement surprise de lire un livre bien écrit, souvent émouvant et plutôt drôle. Je cherchais un roman de jeunesse à étudier avec mes élèves. Il fait partie de ma liste dorénavant.
Il ne s'agit pas d'un livre de gangsters mais de l'histoire un jeune garçon qui est contraint de vivre sur l'île d'Alcatraz où son père a trouvé du travail en tant que maton alors que Al Capone y est incarcéré. Ce garçon a une grande soeur atteinte visiblement d'autisme et il doit s'en occuper quand il n'est pas à l'école. Les autres enfants de l'île vont jouer un grand rôle dans l'intégration de cette nouvelle famille.
Je le recommande aux ados mais aussi aux adultes qui aiment les jolies histoires pas gnan-gnan.

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