Al Capone Does My Shirts

I had this book tucked in my bag because I was using it for a lesson on footnotes and endnotes, and ended up reading it all in one sitting while I was getting the oil changed in my car. I loved it! This book takes place on Alcatraz in 1935, shortly after 12 year-old Moose Flanagan moves there with his family. Moose hated leaving his school, grandparents, and friends in Santa Monica, but times are hard, and Moose's dad secures a job as a prison guard and electrician on the infamous prison island, and his family desperately hopes his sister Natalie will be accepted to a special school in San Francisco. The families who live on Alcatraz are an interesting bunch, drawn by employment at the prison, and taking the ferry each day to attend show more school in San Francisco. Natalie, who suffers from autism, though this was not understood or labeled in 1935, does not get into the school. Her disability is paralyzing for the family, as she requires full-time care. The stigma of such a disability is daunting, and as it's easier to explain her away as Moose's younger sister, though she is in fact, three years older, and turns 10 every year. Moose experiences a full range of emotions about Natalie -- anger, resentment, fear, fierce loyalty, and intense love. In a way I suspect is common to siblings of individuals with disabilities such as this one, Moose "gets" her more than anyone else, and his devotion to her and resentment of her (and his parents who naturally devote more of their time and energy to her) was beautifully written and very touching. The Alcatraz aspect of the book was also compelling, with its perverse fascination with its most famous inmate Al Capone, its mini-society dominated by Piper, the beautiful but awful warden's daughter, and its daily real or imagined interactions. This book is terrific!

Curriculum: great for historical fiction genre study: 1930s America.

Choldenko, G. (2006). Al Capone Does My Shirts. City: Perfection Learning Prebound. show less

Most reviews of this book focus on the story itself, more than the characters. As noted, it tells about a family living on Alcatraz Island, during the Depression (circa 1938) when jobs are hard to find so an electrician's job on as scary a place as Alcatraz is a plum assignment. But Alcatraz isn't as scary as one might expect -- life there becomes normal for the residents, as the author's notes at the end of the book and the story itself suggest. Moose, his sister Natalie and their friends live their normal lives, going to school (albiet by boat), wear cleaned clothes (done by the prisoners), play baseball (and hope to find a prisoner's ball that went over the fence), and sometimes get into trouble (as when they tried to sell convict show more laundry services at a nickle an item).

But life for Moose and his family is challenging, as his sister Natalie has what seems to be autism. While this is a fun story, it is heartbreaking in a way as it aptly describes the emotions that families go through with such a child (I speak from personal experience as my son has autism). His parents want so much for their daughter that they're willing to sacrifice almost anything, including the truth (about her age), and even their son's own happiness. To some it might seem selfish, but the truth is (and probably was even more so at the time) that the parents were frightened for their daughter's future -- what would become of her in a world which generally institutionalizes people such as her. I'd like to get mad at the mother, but I understand how she feels at the same time.

I would recommend this book highly, not only to those who would appreciate the quirky story, but as an excellent example of a characterization of a child and family dealing with autism. show less

Moose Flanagan's father got a job at Alcatraz prison, so he and his parents and his sister, Natalie, have moved to the island from their home in San Francisco. With such a small group of people, including a small number of kids, living on the island Moose isn't sure about anything - making friends, playing ball. He and the warden's daughter, Piper, have to take the ferry in to school, and Piper has a grand plan involving the notorious gangster, Al Capone, who was in the prison in 1935.

I'm not sure why exactly - maybe it was the title, or the cover, or how I'd heard the book described - but I had the idea that this would be a much lighter, humorous book. Instead, what I found was a sometimes funny historical fiction about a boy and his show more family. Moose is the narrator, and how I saw the other characters, especially Piper and Natalie, was really colored by his interpretation. At the beginning, I thought Piper was a manipulative little chit, but either she grew as a character or on me, because I grew to like her despite her shenanigans. The historical research is clear in the strength of the story and setting, and the author's note bears this out - there is a note on Alcatraz that includes quotes from people who lived on the island (generally people who worked for the prison and their families), and a note on Natalie. Natalie's condition is never named in the story, though I read her as autistic, and the author's note bears that out. I found that her family's dynamics and challenges rang true, and I liked how clear it was that they all love her in their own way, even if they become frustrated at times. show less

In 1935, the Depression was hitting families hard, and when twelve year old Moose Flanagan’s father is offered a job as an electrician on Alcatraz Island, he doesn't hesitate. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary had only opened the year before, and the island was said to be safer than San Francisco. Moose’s family, like dozens of others, lived on the island under the watchful eye of the Warden, who was strict but fair. Children took a boat to school every day, and often had the center of attention with their classmates, as they divulged true or imaginary details of life in close proximity with prisoners, especially the notorious Al Capone.

Moose is a good kid, loves baseball, and tries to avoid the intricate machinations of the Warden’s show more pretty daughter. Moose’s family has a secret, however. His sister, Natalie, is, well, different. She has few social skills, has tantrums, rocks, and loves to count and do math, the latter things she is phenomenally good at doing. Mrs. Flanagan has taken her to doctors, to scientists, to psychiatrists, trying to find out what is wrong with Natalie and how to help her. Numerous awful treatments have gotten them nowhere. Mrs. Flanagan is convinced that the only help for her daughter is admittance to a special school for children with differences, but they only accept children under twelve and Natalie is sixteen. Mrs. Flanagan isn't about to let that stop her.

What I loved about this book was the historical accuracy of the details of life on Alcatraz Island. Even the visit by Al Capone’s mother is based on fact. Only the Flanagan family and the laundry caper are inventions. In a lengthy afterward the author writes about her research and about the character of Natalie, who is based on the author’s own sister, who was autistic. Although the term “autism” had first been used in Europe in 1911, it wasn't until the mid-1940s that the term was used in the US and the 1960s before it was uncoupled from schizophrenia. During the time that the book takes place, children with autism were frequently placed in asylums, as parents were often incapable of understanding or managing their child’s behavior. The author writes of the anguish Natalie’s condition causes the Flanagan family and the love that allows them to begin to break through to her. I thought this young adult novel was historically interesting and the story of Moose, told in diary form, to be engaging. I listened to the audio book and thought the reader, Kirby Heyborne, was excellent. show less

“Al Capone Does My Shirts” was a fantastic book that I enjoyed very much. At first, I thought that the book was only going to be about Alcatraz Island, and how the cons affected the lives of the families who lived on the island with them. While the book focused somewhat on Al Capone and the other cons, it was mostly about Moose Flanagan and the struggles his family faced with his sister, Natalie. The Flanagans moved to Alcatraz because Mr. Flanagan got a job as an electrician and prison guard, so Natalie could attend an expensive boarding school called the Esther P. Marinoff School, for children with special needs. Nowadays, Natalie would be considered Autistic but because the book is set in the 1930’s, no one knew what was show more “wrong” with her. Mrs. Flanagan is always trying to “cure” her daughter by subjecting her to various treatments, therapies, and schooling that never work. Mrs. Flanagan also tells everyone that Natalie is 10, even though she is 16, because she feels as though there are more chances in the world for children with special needs, opposed to adults with them. The book starts off with Natalie leaving for the Esther P. Marinoff School, but being sent back two days later because the staff could not handle all of her challenges. From then on the book centers around Moose and the obstacles he faces being the new kid at Alcatraz and at school, while also dealing with the hardships of growing up. Moose has many adventures on Alcatraz and also learns a great deal about himself and his family. At the end of the book, Natalie applies again to the Esther P. Marinoff School after extensive therapy, but still does not get it. Moose then writes a letter to Al Capone begging him to do something to help Natalie and persuade the owners of the boarding school to let her in. After Moose sends his letter a few days later the Flanagans get a call saying the Esther P. Marinoff School is opening a new wing for older children and that they want Natalie to be their first student. On the last page, Moose is hanging up his laundered clothes (which the cons wash and press) and finds a note in one of his shirt pockets that says, “Done” indicating that Al Capone was the reason Natalie is able to go to the Esther P. Marinoff School. I really liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked the character of Moose. Moose is a very likable character who always tries to do the right thing and loves his sister very much. However, this does not mean that he sometimes doesn’t get lured into trouble by pretty girls or gets frustrated by the many demands his sister’s disability puts on his family. He is often bitter over the fact he had to uproot his own life in Santa Monica, to come to Alcatraz for Natalie and resents his mother for what he perceives as being controlling and insensitive to his and Natalie’s needs. Moose also struggles to balance having a sister like Natalie, while also trying to be a normal kid. He often sacrifices what he wants to do (like playing baseball after school) to watch over his sister and keep her company, while his parents work. Moose also gets upset with Natalie and questions why she has to be the way she is, which I feel is a very normal thing for siblings of disabled people to do and something that is not often written about. This is exemplified when Natalie is having a horrible tantrum and Moose says, “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to us? To Mom and Dad? You’re making them old. They worry about you all the time. At least you can try. At least you can do that, Sometimes I think you don’t even try and I hate you for it, Natalie. We try so hard and you don’t. I hate you, Natalie! I do!” Secondly, I really liked how the book showcased what having Autism was like in the 1930’s. In our world today Autism is a very common disorder that has much awareness surrounding it. However, in the 1930’s no one knew what Autism was, or how to treat it. People found Natalie very unusual because in some ways she behaved like a child, but in other ways she behaved like a normal sixteen year old girl. Natalie also did not have very good communication skills, never using pronouns, but was a mathematical savant, and could process information very logically. This contrast of ability and disability within Natalie, confused people and made her somewhat of a medical mystery. Even though Autism is still a disorder that baffles the medical field, it does not have the implications it had in the 1930’s. When Natalie is expelled from the Esther P. Marinoff School, the headmaster tells Mrs. Flanagan she, “might want to look into Deerham in Marin County” which is an asylum. Natalie often received this suggestion, because people thought that was the only way to help people like her. Natalie also has an obsession with buttons and stacks them in various ways to calm herself down after a tantrum. When she is receiving treatment after being kicked out of school, her therapist takes away her buttons and does not let her play with them anymore. By today’s standards this would be unacceptable, because the buttons were soothing to Natalie, and it is unfair to take that away from someone who has as much stress as she does. However, what is most different about Autism in the 1930’s compared to the 2000’s, is that Mrs. Flanagan is always looking for a cure for her daughter. Mrs. Flanagan believes that through therapy and schooling Natalie can be made “normal” and recover from her Autism. I still believe some mother’s today are like this, but generally most parents accept their children with Autism and want them to succeed and be happy in their life as who they are, not what they could be. I thought it was fascinating to see the historical role of Autism in the 1930’s and how different people’s feelings and knowledge of the disorder have changed over the years. The main idea of, “Al Capone Does My Shirts” is to accept people for who they are, and to see the worth in everyone. In the beginning of the book, Moose struggles with the relationship he has with his mother. He views his mother as demanding, unfair to Natalie, and delusional with the aspirations she has for her daughter. He also thinks she is crazy for her many attempts to “cure” her daughter. However, at the end of the book after learning much about his mother and experiencing his own disappointments, he realizes why his mother has done all she has to help Natalie. After Moose tries to get Natalie back into the Esther P. Marinoff School and fails to do so he says, “When I hang up the phone, I know I have to do something. Have to. I have no idea what. I wonder if this is how my mother feels. How she has always felt. Now I understand. When you love someone, you have to try things even if they don’t make sense to anyone else.” This indicates Moose’s acceptance of his mother and his understanding of her behavior. The book’s other main idea is to accept those who are different. Natalie is different, and at first on Alcatraz she is viewed as a freak and called “stupid” by many of the other kids. However, over time all the kids get to see who Natalie is as a person and grow to really like her and consider her part of their group. This shows that people should never make snap judgments of other people, because they might surprise you and could end up meaning a lot to you. Once all the kids realized that Natalie, although different from them, had worth and meaning, they saw her in a much different light. show less

Summary: Having to move to a new town is never fun for a kid... but when your new home is Alcatraz Island, the high security prison that's home to the worst criminals in the country, that's a whole different ball game. It's 1935, and seventh-grader Moose Flanagan is happy that his dad is working when so many other people aren't... but he wishes that his dad could have gotten a job anywhere else. Not only does he have to live on the island with the prison, but there are very few other kids, and the only one his age is Piper, the scheming daughter of the warden. And, to make matters worse, Moose is expected to spend all of his free time taking care of his sister Natalie, who is severely autistic. Between Piper's schemes and Natalie's show more condition, how can Moose possibly be expected to have a normal childhood?

Review: I'm not sure where I got the idea that this book was funny - maybe from the title? - but boy, was I wrong on that one. I mean, yes, there were bits that made me laugh, but there were also bits that made me cry, and I was not expecting that at all. Even the back cover doesn't really give you a good sense for it; it only mentions Natalie in passing, with nary a mention of autism (which is never called by name in the story itself, since it wasn't defined as a diagnosis until 1943.) I went in expecting a book about the excitement and challenges of growing up on Alcatraz, and I got a book about the challenges of growing up with an autistic sister... that happened to take place on the famous prison. Don't get me wrong, it's a cool setting for the story, made cooler by the fact that a lot of the details about life on Alcatraz are factually accurate. But it's a lot more serious and moving of a story, and it dealt more weighty issues than it might have seemed at first blush. I particularly thought Moose was a well-done character, and his relationship with his sister felt incredibly real, which was a huge factor in making the story as touching as it ultimately was. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: I'd recommend this to anyone mid-grade and up who likes historical fiction and/or coming of age novels... but I think it would be particularly relatable to readers with younger siblings. show less

Moose Flanagan is twelve when his family moves to Alcatraz Island, where his father will work both as an electrician and a prison guard. His excitement at being in close proximity with famous criminals like Al Capone is tempered by his increasing responsibility for his older sister, Natalie, who is developmentally delayed. Moose's parents are counting on Natalie's admission to the Esther P. Marinoff school with its track record of success with children like Natalie. However, things don't work out exactly as planned.

This story is nearly perfect. It has a great cast of children, including tiny, big-hearted Theresa, Moose's classmate and fellow baseball player, Scout, and the warden's obnoxious daughter Piper. Although middle grade readers show more are the target audience for the book, it will appeal to many adult readers. The only flaw for adult readers are the somewhat flat adult characters. They're not as bad as the adults in the Charlie Brown TV specials (wah Wah wah wah Wah wah), but they're not fully developed, either. show less