Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko tells the story of a family who moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 so that his father can work as a prison guard and his siter, Natalie can attend a special school in San Francisco.
The story is written from the point of view of 12 year old Moose Flanagan who is saddened by the thought of leaving behind old friends and missing out on playing baseball. Creeped out by the fact that he is surrounded by criminals, Moose still tries to make the best of his situation by making friends. One friend is Piper, the Warden's daughter. Piper crafts a scheme to make money by telling classmates, "Once in a lifetime opportunity! Get your clothes laundered by Al Capone and other world-famous public enemies!... Only costs 5 cents." Moose helps for fear of getting his family kicked off the island. Moose tries to stay on Piper's good side because he feels his older sister, Natalie's behavior could get them kicked off the island.
This book expertly handles historical accounts of the time. As well as being historically accurate, it shows the human side of a family struggling with difficulites.
Suggested reading level: 4-8
Keywords: Alcatraz Island, Al Capone, autism, prisons, criminals
No comments:
Post a Comment