Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. Putnam Juvenile, 2004. ISBN: 9780399238611
Ages: 10-12
Genre: Realistic fiction, Historical fiction, Mystery
Plot: Set in the 1930s, Moose Flanagan is a twelve-year-old boy who moves with his family from Santa Monica to Alcatraz Island, because his father got a job as an electrician at the prison and so his sister Natalie can go to a special school, for children with autism, in San Francisco. Unfortunately, Natalie is rejected by the autism school. When Moose's mom takes a job teaching piano lessons in the city, it means that Moose has to look after Natalie in the afternoons after school. Not only does looking after Natalie inhibit his ability to play baseball with his school mates, but it also allows Moose and his sister develop a deeper relationship. As Moose adjusts to a new home on the island that houses the famous prison in which Al Capone served time, he meets the Warden's troublesome daughter, Piper. Piper has a lot of moneymaking ideas that could land them both in trouble.
Review:
This book is centered around family drama and a historical setting, with references to the most infamous inmate Al Capone and most recognized prisons: Alcatraz. Moose narrates with typical teenage language: a funny voice, but his dialogue is very realistic. As a character, readers can sense that Moose is a "real" boy with real issues: he likes baseball, he is discovering girls for the first time, and he has family obligations and responsibilities that sometimes feel like a burden to him. All characters have realistic issues, like Moose's sister Natalie--who is struggling with autism. The book is captivating and engaging towards the middle and end of the book, when Moose spots his sister holding hands with an inmate (when Moose was supposed to be watching her). This scene suggests sexual themes that Natalie might have been attacked by the prisoner. However, the conclusion has a twist with a cliffhanger ending that leaves a reader wondering about what really happened, so this could be identified as a mystery as well. Tweens will get an idea of what life was like during Alcatraz and American gangsters, and also have an understanding of the Autism disease in the character of Natalie.
Awards: Newbery Honor 2005, School Library Journal 2004, ALA Notable Books 2005
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