newbery honor author 

new york times bestseller

Gennifer Choldenko
Gennifer Choldenko
Al Capone Does My Shirts

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Al Capone Does My Shirts

by Gennifer Choldenko
ages 10 and up
Putnam, 2004, 978–0‑399–23861‑1 (hc)
Puffin, 2006, 978–0‑14–240370‑9 (pb)

Synopsis

“1935. I want to be on Alcatraz like I want poison oak on my private parts. But apparently nobody cares, because now I’m Moose Flanagan, Alcatraz Island Boy all so my sister can go to the Esther P. Marinoff School, where kids have macaroni salad in their hair and wear their clothes inside out and there isn’t a chalkboard or a book in sight.

“Good Moose. Obedient Moose. I always do what I’m supposed to do.”

When Moose’s family moves to Alcatraz so his father can work as a guard and his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, Moose has to leave his friends and his winning baseball team behind. But it’s worth it, right? If his sister, Natalie, can finally get help, maybe his family will finally be normal.

But as it turns out, life on Alcatraz is much more complicated than even Moose would have predicted.

His dad is so busy, he’s never around. His mom’s preoccupation with Natalie’s condition (today it would be called autism) is even worse now that there’s no extended family to help with her tantrums and constant needs. And of course, there’s never enough money.

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 parent’s expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.

Resources

Awards and Recognition

  • 2005 CBC-NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People

  • LA Notable Book

  • ALA Notable Recording

  • ALA/ALSC Newbery Honor

  • All County Read, Napa County, Solano County, CA

  • All school read, Poynton High School, Great Britain

  • American Literacy Corporation Literary Choice Award

  • AudioFile Magazine Best of the Best Audio Books

  • Best Book for Young Adults

  • Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year

  • Book Sense Pick of the List Summer 2004

  • Booklist 50 Best Middle-Grade Novels of the 21st Century (Tales from Alcatraz)

  • Borders Original Voice

  • California Library Association Beatty Award

  • California Library Association Focal Award

  • California Young Readers Medal

  • Capital Choices Noteworthy Books for Children

  • Carnegie Medal, short-listed (UK)

  • Chicago Public Library Best of the Best

  • Children’s Book of the Month Selection

  • Children’s Bookseller’s Award— Favorite Novel of the Year

  • CUFFIE’S Best Title of the Year

  • Garden State Children’s Book Award Winner

  • Journal de Mickey Award

  • Judy Lopez Honor Award

  • Junior Library Guild Selection

  • Keystone State Reading Association YA Book Award

  • Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

  • London Times and NASEN

  • New York Library Best 100 Books for Reading and Sharing

  • New York Library’s 2005 Books for the Teen Age

  • New York Times Bestseller List for more than 6 months

  • Northern California Book Award

  • Parents’ Choice Silver Medal

  • Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year

  • Recorded Books Audio Version

  • San Francisco Chronicle Top Ten Children’s Books of 2004

  • Scholastic Book Club (Literature Circle) Selection

  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

  • Sid Fleischman Humor Award, SCBWI

  • Special Needs Award (UK)

  • VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2004

  • YALSA Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults

Children’s Choice Nominees

  • California (Winner)

  • Connecticut

  • Florida

  • Hawaii

  • Illinois

  • Iowa

  • Kansas

  • Kentucky

  • Louisiana

  • Maine

  • Massachusetts

  • Michigan

  • Minnesota

  • Missouri

  • Nevada

  • New Jersey (Winner)

  • New Mexico

  • Oklahoma

  • Pacific Northwest

  • Pennsylvania (Winner)

  • South Carolina

  • Texas

  • Vermont

  • Virginia

  • All County Read, Napa County, Solano County, CA

  • All county read, Napa County, Solano County, CA

  • All school read, Poynton High School, Great Britain

Reviews

  “Choldenko’s pacing is exquisite, balancing the tense family dynamics alongside the often-humorous and riveting school story of peer pressure and friendship.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

  “Choldenko’s exceptionally atmospheric novel has equally unusual characters and plot lines … Fast-paced and memorable.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

  “The story, told with skill and humor, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island.” (School Library Journal, starred review)

“Al Capone Does My Shirts is heart-stopping … heartrending … heartwarming.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Extraordinary setting: Alcatraz Island, 1935 … exuberant storytelling” (The Washington Post)

“Choldenko’s novel is a marvel. Writing with great tenderness and freshness and style, she unfolds a taut drama of two kids struggling to come of age against an extraordinary background — Alcatraz Island.” (Sid Fleischman, author of The Whipping Boy, Newbery winner)

Best New Books for Young Adults: “Author Choldenko has given breath to the freshest voice since Jack Gantos’s Joey Pigza, in the most inventive setting since, well, ever.” (Time Out New York Kids)

“Compelling … Choldenko creates in Natalie a believable fictional character, not just a diagnosis.” (Chicago Tribune)

“Pure genius, filled with heart, hope, despair and some of the most lovable characters you’ll ever meet. The ending leaves you so satisfied, you want to pick it up and start reading, again.” (Norma, online reviewer)

“A sensitive portrait of autism and how it affects a family … an affecting novel.” (KLIATT)

“A poignant and entertaining novel that manages to mix such serious issues as special needs and Depression-era poverty with an excitingly dangerous setting and believable, flawed and ultimately appealing characters.” (Book of the Week, Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Short-listed for the Carnegie Medal: “A deeply felt and remarkable tale of family and friendship. Round characterization, humour and well-researched detail contribute to an immensely satisfying read.” (Carnegie Committee)

“A masterpiece.” (The Guardian)