Al Capone Does My Shirts

Choldenko, Gennifer. 2004. AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS is a story of a twelve year old boy, Moose Flanagan, and his family as they move to Alcatraz Island in 1935 so Mr. Flanagan can work in the prison as an electrician and part-time guard. Facing the problems of living on the island prison grounds, going to school off-island, having a sister, Natalie, with “special” needs and problems, and desperately wanting to fit in and have friends, Moose tells the story of his first six months in the form of a diary. Moose will learn to face problems like a sneaky warden’s daughter and caring for an “unusual” sister instead of playing baseball with other kids, while learning about the prisoners housed on the island such as Al Capone. Will Moose’s friends see though Natalie’s problems to the caring person inside and will a convicted criminal be able to help her get into a school that could help her? At the beginning of the story is a photographic map of Alcatraz Island, with locations from the story labeled. Choldenko includes notes at the end of the story that give historical information on Alcatraz Island, the families that lived there, the inmates that were serving time in the facility (Al Capone) and children with autism. Students will be mesmerized as they read this story and be compelled to search for more information on the island and the inmates that inhabited it during this time to see if the information in the story is accurate.