''Al Capone Does My Shirts'' is a

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

novel for young adults by the author Gennifer Choldenko. In the book, Moose Flanagan and his family move from Santa Monica to

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate, Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a Alcatraz Isla ...

when his father takes a new job as an electrician and a guard in the well-known

Alcatraz prison United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz (, ''"the gannet"'') or the Rock, was a Maximum security prison, maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisc ...

. The book was named a

Newbery Honor The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

selection, and in 2007 it received the California Young Reader Medal. It has three sequels: ''Al Capone Shines My Shoes'', ''Al Capone Does My Homework'', and ''Al Capone Throws Me a Curve''.

Plot

In 1935, Matthew "Moose" Flanagan and his family moves from Santa Monica, Ca to Alcatraz Island when his father takes a new job as an electrician and a guard in the well-known Alcatraz prison. Moose becomes friends with the warden's daughter, Piper, who regularly gets into trouble in her attempts to get money to get off Alcatraz. Piper talks Moose into being part of her money-making schemes, like having inmates on the island do laundry for the kids at school. When the scheme fails and the Warden receives word of it, the children are punished and have to find a new way to spend their time. In an attempt to gain acceptance, Moose hangs around the rec center in hopes of finding a stray baseball for use in games with the other kids. Moose eventually notices his older sister Natalie developing a relationship with convict 105, also known as Onion, who is trusted and able to roam freely because his sentence is almost up. Onion knows Moose has been looking for a baseball and gives him one. Still uneasy about his sister's hanging out with a convict, Moose is reassured only by his confidence that she will be re-accepted to the Esther P. Marinoff School for people with special needs. However, Moose and his family's hopes are crushed when the school rejects Natalie. Desperate to help his sister, Moose, with the help of Piper, writes a letter to the infamous criminal

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

, who works in Alcatraz's laundry. The letter asks Capone to pull any strings he has to help Moose's family get his sister back into school. Within days, Natalie is accepted into a new branch of the school, for older children. The next day, Moose is getting ready for the day when he finds a note on the sleeve of his shirt with the word "Done" underlined.

Awards

California Young Reader Medal The California Young Reader Medal is a set of five annual literary awards conferred upon picture books A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily ...

Critical reception

''Kirkus Review'' gave the book a positive review, stating "Choldenko's pacing is exquisite, balancing the tense family dynamics alongside the often-humorous and riveting school story of peer pressure and friendship." Miranda Doyle of ''The School Library Journal'' says "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 grow up on Alcatraz Island." Ed Sullivan of ''Booklist'' states in his review, "With its unique setting and well-developed characters, this warm, engaging coming-of-age story has plenty of appeals, and Choldenko offers some fascinating historical background on Alcatraz Island in an afterword."

Stage performance

In 2011, the book was adapted as a stage performance at The Children's Theatre of Western Springs. In 2019, the book was adapted as a stage performance at Mission Cultural Center by the San Francisco Youth Theatre.

References

External links