Editorial Review
Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and when she’s denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose’s family has used for dealing with her disorder.
When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she’s trouble. But she’s also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents’ expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island with their families, Choldenko’s second novel brings humor to the complexities of family dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the “good boy” stance he’s taken his whole life.
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Customer Reviews
Fitting In Can be Murder 
2008-08-09
Moose Flanagan has just moved to Alcatraz. His father has gotten a job as an electrician at the most notorious prison in the United States. You would think Moose would be excited, but he isn't. Instead, Moose must watch over his autistic sister, Natalie, while trying to avoid the warden's scheming daughter, Piper.
Moose's problems multiply when he catches Natalie holding hands with Prisoner 105. Is Natalie safe on the island? Who is Prisoner 105? Moose enlists the help of the notorious Al Capone in an attempt to keep Natalie in school and off the island.
This is one of the best examples of juvenile fiction I have read in a long time. I am always on the lookout for books that will catch the attention of `reluctant readers,' and this book does just that. The character of Moose is a typical preteen boy - his feelings for his family conflict with his own growing interests. He must choose what is important to him - baseball or Natalie. Ultimately, he make the wise decision and cares for the sister he loves.
Although fiction, the novel has a basis in reality - guards and their families did live on Alcatraz Island, Al Capone did work in the prison laundry, and civilians did interact with some prisoners. Choldenko has included this and other information in the `Author's Note' at the end of the book. This section sheds some light on `life on the rock' and is a great link between the historical information and the novel itself.
This novel will capture your child's imagination. I highly recommend it.
Al Capone Does My Shirts 2008-06-13
Moose Flanagan left his home, his school and his baseball team behind when his dad was hired as a guard on Alcatraz Island in 1935, prompting a move for the whole family. Moose's older sister, Natalie, is severely autistic, and his dad took the job to put them all closer to a program that claims to be able to "cure" her. Now Moose is working to make new friends, including the warden's daughter who has a knack for getting into trouble, and find his place in his family while coming to terms with his sister's illness.
Al Capone Does My Shirts takes us through the difficulty of being 12 and trying to fit into a new life while giving us a great glimpse of Alcatraz in the 1930s when infamous criminals like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly were residents on "The Rock." Moose's authentic voice is delightful to follow as he weaves his story and comes to terms with his new situation.
"Onion" book 
2008-05-05
I called this book an "onion" because there are so many different layers to it. There is the Alcatraz layer where the reader learns a little bit about the life of living on Alcatraz. There is the Autistic layer where the reader learns a little bit about autism. There is even a layer of a boy just trying to be a kid by having fun with his friends, but instead he learns about his family and himself. Each one of these layers make up this book. Just like each layer makes an onion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I am a fourth grade teacher and I had to read this book while pursuing a master's in reading. I will admit that it sat in my class library a few years before I picked it up. I thought it was just going to be a "kids" book. But this truly interested me as even an adult. Although the reading level is at a high thrid grade or low fourth grade level, I do not think that this age has the background to understand this book. Fifth grade would be a better age. I look forward to using this for a classroom reading in the future.
"Laundering" At Its Best 2008-04-22
* Not only does Moose have the convicts of his new home looming over his head, but he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. With his dad working every shift he can get as an electrician and guard on the island of Alcatraz, and with his mother taking the ferry across the bay to give piano lessons every day of the week, Moose is left in charge of caring for his older autistic sister. In order to get their daughter the best treatment possible, by enrolling her in a school which provides care for those up to age 12, his parents pretend she is 10, when she is really turning 16. Then, there's Piper, the warden's conniving daughter, always scheming for a way to meet the infamous Al Capone, and recruiting the kids of the island to help. When his world starts crumbling around him, who should come to save Moose's day... but Scarface himself.
* While the normal issues a middle schooler faces (like finicky friendships, boy/girl relationships, peer pressure, and parent misunderstandings) are certainly substantial teaching material in this book, add on the issue of what it is like to have someone in the family with special needs. This book provides a wonderful avenue for pursuing the concepts of empathy, multiple perspectives and points-of-view.
Thumbs Up! 2008-04-15
I really enjoyed reading this book for my children's lit class in college. I would definitely recommend it for adolescent children.
an ok book 
2008-01-12
Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and when she’s denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose’s family has used for dealing with her disorder.
When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she’s trouble. But she’s also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents’ expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island with their families, Choldenko’s second novel brings humor to the complexities of family dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the “good boy” stance he’s taken his whole life.
killa 2007-12-17
Moose flagon is living on an island called Alcatraz because his father is guard in the prison, and his mother is music teacher. His sister is very special and all on top of it he goes to school with the wardens daughter and she takes her classmates clothes and now he is apart of all of it. His father and his mother have sent his sister to a hospital to help her get better .but only after they take her they say there is nothing there can do. After they brought his sister back hey asked moose to pack but as much as he wanted to leave they stead.
kcs shirts 2007-10-05
Moose Flanagan, he is a 12 years old boy, he is a kind person compared to the kids of Alcatraz some are trained well because there children of the gaurds and he loves baseball. Moose was forced to live here because of his mother and his dad he is one of the gaurds there too. Moose gets scared his first night because he never knows when a murderer might show up. The island of Alcatraz is not where you want to live because that is where all the worst of the worst go like murderers and full on gangsters that will kill you no matter what. So Moose has to fit in at this island, not be tricked by this girl Piper, and keep his young and imature sister out of danger. I thought this book was intresting. i would recommend this book to middle schoolers or people who like out door books or who likes reading. I learned how it is to have a younger sister.
"If you love someone, you have to try things even if they don't make sense to anyone else" 2007-07-28
Moose Flanagan and his family arrive on Alcatraz Island in 1935 so his father Cam can work as an electrician and guard at the prison and his sister Natalie can have a chance to attend a "special" school for children with Autism. At the time it's not called Autism, but that is what the reader of today is lead to believe. Moose is caught in the middle of Piper the wardens daughters' schemes and her mad drive to meet Al Capone and his mothers desperate need to get Natalie into the only school that can help her. Moose is the only one that can really reach Natalie and the decisions and realities that the family has to face can just be too much for a 12 year old boy. Maybe Al Capone is his only option.
My class really enjoyed Al Capone... 2007-06-28
I used this book in a three week summer school course with eighth graders. I needed a high interest but easy to read novel to catch their interest. AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS was a great choice! They found the setting of Alcatraz very interesting, and they really loved the well-developed characters, especially Moose and Natalie. There are many, many teacher resources for this novel available on the internet. Using ideas from the internet and adding my own personal material, the unit was very easy to plan and carry out. The students wrote daily journal responses to questions relating to various aspects of the book (ideas for prompts are available on Scholastic's web site).
We did some background study which I think added to the students' enjoyment and understanding of the novel. We watched a biography of Al Capone, and we did an internet scavenger hunt to research two topics: Alcatraz and Autism. Doing this early on helped provide context for the students.
The characters in AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS are probably the most interesting aspect of the book. My students seemed particularly fascinated by how Natalie, the main character's sister who has autism, changes and develops through the story. They could really relate to a lot of the things the protagonist (Moose) goes through, even though he lives on Alcatraz in 1935. To me, that's the power of a great book -- it contains themes that are universal. I would highly recommend this book for middle school students, whether it be as a group study or individual reading. It has a great ending too!
