Al Capone Does My Shirts (Tales from Alcatraz)

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.)

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.

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.

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.

My fifth grade son who is high functioning and definitely on the spectrum has to complete a book report (in three weeks), and the required genre is historical fiction. I settled on this book, and it arrived today. Based on the reviews, I decided that he and I would read it aloud together (though he is a good -but sometimes reluctant - reader). I knew I had to select a high-interest book because he will gravitate toward books he's read before or titles that are not challenging enough. Additionally, unless the book is REALLY interesting, he wil refuse to complete any written responses. So...This afternoon we read six chapters in 45 minutes (the chapters are very short), and he loves it (and immediately started writing his early observations). He finds the details of Alcatraz fascinating but mostly really likes Matthew and Natalie. Natalie is autistic and clearly has sensory and social barriers. My kiddo thinks she's terrific. So far, this book is a WINNER. The language and terminology is not squeaky clean, but it's authentic to boys and authentic to 1935. The characters are well-drawn, and the plot provides lots of teaching-moments related to the Great Depression, our penal system, family relationships, etc.

Amazing book! This book is so good it allows adult concepts be translated well enough so that a child can understand them. Although Al Capone is mention throughout the book, the book focus is not focus on him, its on Moose and his relationship with his sister. It's a heart warming story, that makes the reader really think about the past. Although this is a historical fiction book the struggles and issue that are dealt with this book are still present in today age of day. Choldenko is an amazing writer, she captured Moose and other character mind set so well and you really are able to see them as real people instead of fictional characters. This is an amazing book that everyone should read and enjoy.

It is difficult for me to know what to say about a book like this, one that means a great deal to me personally. Set During the Great Depression, Moose is 12 years old, and his father has just gotten a job as an electrician on Alcatraz Island. His mother teaches piano lessons sometimes, and when she does, that means he has to watch his sister after school. Only it isn't like Moose has to watch his little sister, instead Moose has to watch his big sister, Natalie, who is really almost 16, but Moose's mother insists on pretending that Natalie is younger than Moose. Natalie is developmentally disabled and there is a school in San Francisco that can help kids with her difficulties, but in order for Natalie to go to that school they must pretend she is 10 and Moose has to stay out of trouble so his father can keep his job. But when he gets into trouble because the warden's daughter is always scheming, that can be a difficult decree to follow, especially since his mother has demands of her own. With the various demands of all the woman around him, Moose just might need the help of the world's most notorious gangster, Al Capone, to stay out of trouble. At the end, the story indulges in a bit of alternative history. Highly Recommended.

The story was Okay. The portrayal of a brother and his autistic sister was spot on. The end notes that include actual historical facts and interviews with some who lived on the island as children are excellent.