Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 8
Teach-ability: 9
Teachable Aspects: character, setting, historical elements

Maybe it is because I'm an admitted non-lover of historical fiction. Maybe it's because I'm not that interested in Al Capone and out of context of the book the title as a whole makes little sense, but let me tell you, this title really does little for me. The book is so much better than one anticipates it would be based on the first description of the book given- the title.

Based in 1934 and 1935 and set on Alcatraz, Al Capone follows the story of Moose Flanagan, a seventh grade boy whose father has just recently been hired as an electrician and prison guard at Alcatraz and thus he and her sister, Natalie, accompany their parents as non-imprisoned inhabitants of the infamous "rock". The story is accessible, interesting, funny and, at times, heartwarming.

One aspect of the story that I especially liked was the character of Natalie and watching her character develop during the book. Today, Natalie would be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, however those who would be diagnosed with Autism today were treated very differently in the 1930's, and seeing the various ways Natalie is treated in the book is very interesting in comparison to the way Autism is diagnosed and treated today. I think Natalie's character is interesting given the projected audience of middle school and more specifically, middle school boys.

Whether or not you're conscience of it while reading the text, Al Capone teaches a lot about the 1930's, Alcatraz and Autism. It is nice to read a fictional account of such a unique family in unique circumstances. A refreshing read.

I would 100% recommend this to anyone: male or female, middle school or high school. It’s a great story overall.

It is definitely not your average historical fiction book.