First Line: Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water.

It's 1935. Twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan has just moved to Alcatraz with his family, and he's not happy about it. Not one little bit:

"The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to."

Moose's sister is autistic, and his mother's life revolves around the girl. They've moved to Alcatraz because his father got a better-paying job there that would allow them to send Natalie to a special school-- if they can get her accepted there.

Moose is a typical boy. He doesn't care all that much for school, and he loves playing baseball. Once they've moved to Alcatraz, Moose finds that his father is so busy picking up extra hours (and extra money) that he's too exhausted to spend time with his son. His mother has to take the boat to San Francisco every day so she can earn money needed for Natalie's schooling. Just as Moose begins to fit in with the other children on the island, Mrs. Flanagan's work hours increase, and Moose has to make sacrifices in order to take care of Natalie.

As I read this book, my heart bled for Moose. Everything in the Flanagan household revolved around Natalie and her needs. Natalie, Natalie, Natalie. No one paid attention to Moose unless he questioned the grown-ups' protocol, and then he got the kind of attention no child wants.

Choldenko's book is well-written and flows smoothly. I felt as though I were on Alcatraz during the Depression. The kids living on the island were kids: the warden's daughter was an up-and-coming con artist with her schemes to bring in some money; Moose's baseball playing buddies didn't hit a false note as they got used to their new player; and a six-year-old's explanation as to why a pregnant woman on the island needed to stay off her feet had me spluttering and cleaning tea off my monitor.

The most gratifying part of reading Al Capone Does My Shirts is the way Moose interacted with everyone and the way he began to grow up and see things through other people's eyes. Living with an autistic child is dealt with honestly, in part due to the fact that the author's sister was diagnosed with autism.

This is a book that both children and adults can enjoy. The period detail hits all the right notes, the pacing is sure and never flags, and the story is involving from first page to last. Choldenko's skill brings all these characters to life-- you commiserate with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and even try to solve their problems with them. Moose, Natalie and everyone else are real, and that's one of the best compliments I can give any author.

I've just heard about Choldenko's Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Anyone want to bet on whether or not I'll read it?

Review from Kidsread.com:
Twelve-year-old Moose Flannagan doesn't know how to feel about his new home. Sure, it's neat to live right in San Francisco Bay, but the neighbors leave something to be desired. You see, Moose and his family live on Alcatraz Island, where Moose's father has a new job as electrician and prison guard. At school on the mainland, Moose is a bit of a misfit. Not only do the other guys think living on Alcatraz is a little weird, they also don't understand why Moose can't stay after school to play baseball.

Instead, Moose has to head home to watch his sister Natalie. Natalie has autism, a condition that had not even been identified in 1935, when this novel is set. No one is quite sure how to deal with Natalie. Most "experts" tell the Flannagans to put her in an institution, but the family would rather try a variety of experimental therapies, which yield mostly disappointing results. Moose is the only one who can really reach Natalie, and he constantly clashes with his mother about the best way to work with her.

Moose and Natalie discover a new kind of community among the several families who live on Alcatraz Island, including bossy seven-year-old Theresa and the warden's manipulative, sneaky (but also kind of cute) daughter Piper. In the end, the kids cooperate --- with a little help from Al Capone himself --- to find a place where Natalie can finally belong.

Believe it or not, this novel's unusual setting is based on fact --- the families of Alcatraz prison guards actually did live on the island. The author includes a helpful note explaining the historical facts behind the story, as well as a brief note about autism.

What really makes this a winning novel, though, is not the setting but its main character. Moose, who narrates the story, is responsible and trustworthy in spite of himself. The love he feels for his sister despite the frustrations she causes him shines through all his words. The relationships among Moose, his hardworking father and his well-meaning mother are also rich and dynamic. Even without its connection to the famous mobster, AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS would still be a real hit. Reviewed by Norah Piehl

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