Al Capone Does My Shirts

by Gennifer Choldenko

The year is 1935, and twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan has just moved to Alcatraz with his family. His father is a guard and an electrician at the famous prison, but employment isn't the only reason that the Flanagans have moved to the island.

The Flanagans moved to Alcatraz because Moose's older sister, Natalie, has been accepted to a very special school. The Esther P. Marinoff School helps special kids, like autistic Natalie.

Meanwhile, Moose is just trying to adjust to a new home and a new school and all of the perks of living on an island with a bunch of prisoners, including Al Capone, of course.

This is a great story for kids about autism, brothers and sisters, and adjusting to new circumstances. The setting is unique, though I never really felt that the author conveyed a sense of 1935. The information about Alcatraz is interesting, and plenty of kids will identify with Moose.

12/14/08