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Al Capone Does My Shirts (Tales from Alcatraz) Paperback – Illustrated, April 20, 2006

by Gennifer Choldenko (Author)

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Book 1 of 3: Al Capone

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The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a prisoner, but as a kid meeting some of the most famous criminals in our history. Al Capone Does My Shirts has become an instant classic for all kids to read!

Today I moved to Alcatraz, a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. And then there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

A Newbery Honor Book
A New York Times Bestseller
A People magazine "Best kid's Book"
An ALA Book for Young Adults
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Krikus Reviews Editor's Choice
A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Parents' Choice Silver Honor Book
A New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" Selection
A New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age

*"Choldenko's pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"Exceptionally atmospheric, fast-paced and memorable!"—Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Al is the perfect novel for a young guy or moll who digs books by Gordon Korman, or Louis Sachar."—Time Out New York for Kids

"Funny situations and plot twists abound!"—People magazine

"Heartstopping in some places, heartrending in others, and most of all, it is heartwarming."—San Francisco Chronicle

Reading age

10 - 12 years, from customers
Book 1 of 3

Al Capone
Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Grade level

5 - 6
Lexile measure

600L
Dimensions

5.12 x 0.76 x 7.75 inches
Publisher

Puffin Books
Publication date

April 20, 2006
ISBN-10

0142403709
ISBN-13

978-0142403709
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Choldenko's pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Gennifer Choldenko is the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor Award-winning author of ten children's books, including Notes From a Liar and Her Dog, If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, No Passengers Beyond this Point, Al Capone Does My Shirts, Al Capone Shines My Shoes, and Al Capone Does My Homework. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin Books; Reprint edition (April 20, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0142403709
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0142403709
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 600L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 0.76 x 7.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #36,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #55 in Children's 1900s American Historical Fiction
- #193 in Children's Siblings Books (Books)
- #275 in Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy

Customer Reviews:
2,215

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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

2,215 global ratings

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lmsf

really great book for my 5th grader

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023

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This book was great for my 5th grader. It has a great storyline that is not what you would expect. The characters are really relatable, and the chapter length is perfect for my mid-level reader.

One person found this helpful

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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.

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Alex G.

Great historical read for children

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

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.

9 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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Daniel Berenson

A truly unique and excellent book, with a few flaws

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

First off, let me say this books is unique, admirable, and well worth your time. I read it in a day and I am an incredibly slow reader. Though Moose Flanagan (the 12-year-old living on Alcatraz Island with his family because his father works there) is purportedly the central character, two other characters, in my opinion, are better developed: Natalie, the autistic older sister of Moose, and Moose's mother, a woman totally dedicated and absorbed with helping her daughter.

At the beginning of the book, I had a small problem with identifying important details because the opening chapters introduce a slew of characters. For example, I had to go back and reread early chapters to ascertain that the children on the island, for the most part, took a boat to the mainland for their schooling. I also had some trouble telling a few characters apart. But as the plot developed, I was very taken with the warmth the author felt for her characters and how moving the story was. Natalie is really the center of the story and Moose's maturation process is effected by his reaction to and relationship with his sister. And Moose's mother is a wonderfully complex woman, willing to do anything it takes to help her daughter, even if it means lying to others (and even herself) about her daughter's advancing age.

This leads me to the moral problem I have with the book's ending. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: The resolution of the story's central problem is brought about in a morally-iffy manner. While certainly inventive, and just maybe possible, the solution is still a definite "the ends justify the means" transaction. The ending could be construed to condone the strong arm tactics used by mobsters to achieve their aims. Great result, questionable tactics.

Whether to use this book in a classroom? As a middle grades teacher for 30 years I can see how some parents would be wary of a book with some violent and sexual overtones. Caveat emptor. However, what could you expect from a story that takes place in an environment full of monsters, which all the Alcatraz inmates undoubtedly were? (It would be bit like, as you were leaving the theater, to complain about the violence in a movie entitled "Zombie Attacks." Uh, I think the movie poster would sort of give a clue as to the content.) And yes, the language can be a bit raw. But again, consider the setting. Do you expect a person just shot in a war movie to scream, "Ah, shucks"? So yes, I believe this book should be handled with care by teachers and parents, but then again so should watching the evening news. You will get far more sex, violence, corruption, and depravity there than from this book.

All in all, many thanks to Gennifer Choldenko for a great reading experience. (And don't neglect to read the afterward. You will find very interesting details that had tremendous influence in the creation of this work.)

7 people found this helpful

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