Al Capone Does My Shirts

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004.

Plot: Moose's life has never been easy. It becomes even more complicated when his family moves to Alcatraz. While his parents hope to get Moose's sister, Natalie, into a highly recommended school, Moose wishes he could leave the criminals and crazy warden to return to Santa Monica. His wish intensifies when the warden's daughter gets him and nearly every other junior higher on the island in trouble. To further complicate things, his mother wants him to watch Natalie while she teaches piano. Despite her three year seniority over Moose, Natalie requires the utmost care, especially with so many criminals in their own backyard. Yet, Natalie is not the only one in need of help. Moose must learn how to grow despite his stunted relationships with his parents.

Genre: Coming of Age, Historical Fiction

Reading Level: Ages 8-16

Similar Titles: Al Capone Shines My Shoes, A Year Down Yonder, Budd, Not Buddy

Personal Thoughts: The book is interesting, but I do not think I would have liked it as a tween. It tries to include too much. The novel's main themes involve Natalie's autism, the history of Alcatraz, Moose's issues with his mother, and coming of age. As a result, the novel becomes skewed, focusing on so many topics it fails to adequately address any, causing much of the setting's potential to fall by the wayside with an abrupt ending. The issue of growing up in Alcatraz, the inspiration for the novel's title, seems especially muted. In addition, despite the title's implications, the book is not particularly humorous and is, in fact, rather depressing. True, the novel does provide the necessary service of addressing past grievances and current issues, particularly regarding society's response to older autistics. Yet, it is not fun or easy to read about.