Al Capone Does My Shirts
Encyclopedia
Al Capone Does My Shirts is a 2004 young adult novel written by Southern California
-based author Gennifer Choldenko
. The book was named as a Newbery Honor selection and in 2007 it received the California Young Reader Medal
.
because his father is an electrician and guard at the prison. His sister Natalie is older than him, but turns ten every birthday due to her undiagnosed autism. Moose hates living on the island until he meets a young man at his school named Scout. Scout and Moose begin playing baseball on Mondays on the field. When the Warden's daughter, Piper, involves Moose in a business in which the school children have their clothes washed by the prisoners, they end up in hot water with Piper's father. Also, Moose's sister, Natalie, needs to get into a special school, and Al Capone
helps out.
Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to Alcatraz Island so that his father can take a job as a prison guard and his sister Natalie can go to a special school in San Francisco. Moose misses his old baseball team, and he struggles for recognition in his new school.
His sister Natalie, who suffers from autism, is rejected from the Esther P. Marinoff School, crushing his parents' hopes for Natalie's education. Now Moose must take care of Natalie after school while his mother teaches music lessons, and he must find a way to deal with Natalie's screaming fits and constant needs.
Complicating Moose's life even more is Piper, the daughter of the prison warden. Piper lures Moose into her scheme to make money by collecting laundry from their classmates with the promise that Al Capone is among the convicts assigned to laundry duty on Alcatraz.
Gradually, Moose learns to like life on Alcatraz, even finding ways to help Natalie fit in with the other children on the island; and he is able to convince his mother that he really does have his sister's best interests in mind. After the Flanagans have tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to enroll Natalie in the Esther P. Marinoff School, Moose secretly writes a note to Al Capone, asking him to help Natalie. Piper slips Moose's note into the prison's dirty laundry; and a few weeks later, Natalie is accepted to a brand-new wing of the school for older autistic children, to the delight of the entire Flanagan family.
Moose also helps out his sister with her obsession of collecting and counting buttons. Moose is a very loving and younger brother. The last paragraph or so tells of how Moose got a note in his newly- washed pants that says "it is done" (paraphrasing)
Natalie "Nat" Flanagan (has autism; Moose's sister, age 16)
Piper Williams (Warden Williams's daughter, somewhat of a friend of Moose)
Theresa Mattamane
Jimmy Mattaman
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
-based author Gennifer Choldenko
Gennifer Choldenko
Gennifer Choldenko is a Newbery Honor-winning American writer of popular books for children and adolescents.-Early life:Gennifer Choldenko is a native of Santa Monica, California. She is the youngest of four siblings: two sisters and one brother...
. The book was named as a Newbery Honor selection and in 2007 it received the California Young Reader Medal
California Young Reader Medal
The California Young Reader Medal is an award given annually to books nominated and voted on by children in California. The medal was established in 1974 and encourages recreational reading...
.
Plot summary
The book is about a boy in 1935 named Mathew "Moose" Flanagan who moves to Alcatraz IslandAlcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
because his father is an electrician and guard at the prison. His sister Natalie is older than him, but turns ten every birthday due to her undiagnosed autism. Moose hates living on the island until he meets a young man at his school named Scout. Scout and Moose begin playing baseball on Mondays on the field. When the Warden's daughter, Piper, involves Moose in a business in which the school children have their clothes washed by the prisoners, they end up in hot water with Piper's father. Also, Moose's sister, Natalie, needs to get into a special school, and Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
helps out.
Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to Alcatraz Island so that his father can take a job as a prison guard and his sister Natalie can go to a special school in San Francisco. Moose misses his old baseball team, and he struggles for recognition in his new school.
His sister Natalie, who suffers from autism, is rejected from the Esther P. Marinoff School, crushing his parents' hopes for Natalie's education. Now Moose must take care of Natalie after school while his mother teaches music lessons, and he must find a way to deal with Natalie's screaming fits and constant needs.
Complicating Moose's life even more is Piper, the daughter of the prison warden. Piper lures Moose into her scheme to make money by collecting laundry from their classmates with the promise that Al Capone is among the convicts assigned to laundry duty on Alcatraz.
Gradually, Moose learns to like life on Alcatraz, even finding ways to help Natalie fit in with the other children on the island; and he is able to convince his mother that he really does have his sister's best interests in mind. After the Flanagans have tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to enroll Natalie in the Esther P. Marinoff School, Moose secretly writes a note to Al Capone, asking him to help Natalie. Piper slips Moose's note into the prison's dirty laundry; and a few weeks later, Natalie is accepted to a brand-new wing of the school for older autistic children, to the delight of the entire Flanagan family.
Moose also helps out his sister with her obsession of collecting and counting buttons. Moose is a very loving and younger brother. The last paragraph or so tells of how Moose got a note in his newly- washed pants that says "it is done" (paraphrasing)
Characters
Matthew "Moose" Flanagan (Main character, age 12)Natalie "Nat" Flanagan (has autism; Moose's sister, age 16)
Piper Williams (Warden Williams's daughter, somewhat of a friend of Moose)
Theresa Mattamane
Jimmy Mattaman