Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

1. Bibliography:
Choldenko, Gennifer. 2004. Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York, NY: Putnam Juevenille. ISBN 0399238611
2. Plot Summary:
A twelve year old boy comes to live on Alcatraz Island when his father gets a job as an electrician at the famous prison. While adjusting to life on the island, Moose makes a few friends, and tries to keep himself and his autistic sister, Natalie, out of trouble. Interacting with prisoners is a huge violation but when his sister is rejected from a special needs school, Moose seeks help from one of the prison’s most infamous criminals, Al Capone.
3. Critical Analysis:
Al Capone Does My Shirts is an authentic look at the lives of the children of Alcatraz guards during the 1930s. The use of ink wells in school, mentions of “charm school” and several references to the building of the Golden Gate bridge allow the reader frequent reminders of the era in which these characters lived. The accuracy of the island is delivered well through both the opening photograph and Choldenko’s words. The characters are flawed and realistic, making them extremely likeable, even at their worst.
4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:
• 2004 Newbery Honor
• From SLJ: “The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island.”
• From Booklist: “With its unique setting and well-developed characters, this warm, engaging coming-of-age story has plenty of appeal”
5. Connections:
• Read Choldenko’s Al Capone Shines My Shoes to compare/contrast story elements.
• Use a part of a unit regarding Alcatraz. Books such as The Children of Alcatraz: Growing Up on the Rock (2006) by Claire Rudolf Murphy and Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz(2008) by Susan Sloate would make excellent additions to this topic of study.
6. Personal Response:
Having been to Alcatraz a few times in my life, I found this story exciting because I had been to some of the places while touring the island. I’ve taken rides on the ferry to get there and back. As a reader I appreciated the effort Choldenko takes in creating vivid images of what the island looked like. For those who have never been, the text, as well as the map provided, allow the audience to get a feel for life on Alcatraz Island.
The characters of Moose, Natalie and Piper seemed the most developed and real. The depiction of Autism was handled with care and accurately described actions that at the time were not able to be diagnosed. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to share it with some of the boys at my school. I think some of them will get a kick out of the criminals. Also, I plan to read my copy of Al Capone Shines My Shoes once it is delivered with my book order in a few weeks.