Enjoyable story about a boy's family who moves to Alcatraz Island so his father can be a prison guard to pay for his handicapped (mostly likely autistic) sister's special school. I loved all the details about the island and San Francisco during the depression and one family's struggle to see their daughter as 'normal'. I loved Moose and Natalie's friendship. He really watches out for her and the ending Fit perfectly with the rest of the story. ( )

This book is about a twelve year old boy, whose family moves to Alcatraz Island. It talks about the boy's sister and how she is different. His family is tying to get her into a special school that can help her. The boy grows really close to his sister and does whatever he has to in order to help her.

I really like this book. I thought at first it was about Alcatraz Island but it is more about the bond between brother and sister.

In the classroom we could have a lesson on how we are all different, how some of us may need extra help. We could have a
guest speaker come and talk to us about Autism.

This is the story about a boy names Moose Flanagan who lived on Alcatraz in 1935 with his mother, father, and his autistic sister (although not actually diagnosed with autism, because of the time period). He makes friends on the island, one of whom is the Warden's daughter Piper. They are the same age and Piper keeps getting Moose into trouble. Moose is a well behaved boy who is often left alone to take care of his older sister who can not take care of herself. The book is a lot of fun. The characters are very real. The backdrop of Alcatraz Island keeps it mysterious and dangerous. The scheming Piper is fun to follow. You end up rooting for the Flanagan's to make it. Great book for boys, with the main boy character. ( )

First Line: Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water.

It's 1935. Twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan has just moved to Alcatraz with his family, and he's not happy about it. Not one little bit:

"The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to."

Moose's sister is autistic, and his mother's life revolves around the girl. They've moved to Alcatraz because his father got a better-paying job there that would allow them to send Natalie to a special school-- if they can get her accepted there.

Moose is a typical boy. He doesn't care all that much for school, and he loves playing baseball. Once they've moved to Alcatraz, Moose finds that his father is so busy picking up extra hours (and extra money) that he's too exhausted to spend time with his son. His mother has to take the boat to San Francisco every day so she can earn money needed for Natalie's schooling. Just as Moose begins to fit in with the other children on the island, Mrs. Flanagan's work hours increase, and Moose has to make sacrifices in order to take care of Natalie.

As I read this book, my heart bled for Moose. Everything in the Flanagan household revolved around Natalie and her needs. Natalie, Natalie, Natalie. No one paid attention to Moose unless he questioned the grown-ups' protocol, and then he got the kind of attention no child wants.

Choldenko's book is well-written and flows smoothly. I felt as though I were on Alcatraz during the Depression. The kids living on the island were kids: the warden's daughter was an up-and-coming con artist with her schemes to bring in some money; Moose's baseball playing buddies didn't hit a false note as they got used to their new player; and a six-year-old's explanation as to why a pregnant woman on the island needed to stay off her feet had me spluttering and cleaning tea off my monitor.

The most gratifying part of reading Al Capone Does My Shirts is the way Moose interacted with everyone and the way he began to grow up and see things through other people's eyes. Living with an autistic child is dealt with honestly, in part due to the fact that the author's sister was diagnosed with autism.

This is a book that both children and adults can enjoy. The period detail hits all the right notes, the pacing is sure and never flags, and the story is involving from first page to last. Choldenko's skill brings all these characters to life-- you commiserate with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and even try to solve their problems with them. Moose, Natalie and everyone else are real, and that's one of the best compliments I can give any author.

I've just heard about Choldenko's Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Anyone want to bet on whether or not I'll read it? ( )

Al Capone Does My Shirts is about a boy, named Moose, who moves with his family to Alcatraz Island during the Great Depression. Moose and a group of kids who also live on the island have a few adventures on the island. Their adventures usually have to do with the inmates, especially Al Capone. Moose must take his sister, Natalie, everywhere he goes. She is older than him, but she is different. Moose's family is desperately trying to get Natalie into a school called the Esther P. Marinoff, which is a school specifically for kids like Natalie. However, she is rejected two times. Moose believes that Al Capone can do anything. With the help of one of his friends, Moose writes Al Capone a letter asking him to help Natalie get accepted to Esther P. Marinoff. A few days later, Natalie is mysteriously accepted into the school. That night, Moose finds a note in one of his freshly laundered shirts that says the words "done." It is rumored that Al Capone worked in the laundry facilities.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining, and it had some humor. Those kids were hilarious. I think that age-appropriate kids would find this book appealing.

This would be a good book for a student who might have a sibling who is autistic, like Natalie. This book could help them see how to deal with that, and to let them know that it's okay. This would also be a good book to show children what it was like during that time period. They could learn about the Great Depression.