Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Al Capone Does My Shirts was short listed for the Carnegie Medal in 2005. It is the story of Matthew Flanagan or ‘Moose’ who moves to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay with his Mother, Father and sister Natalie because his father has a job as an electrician there. Natalie has autism, which was an unknown disease at the time, and the family are attempting to get her a place at a special school for children with brain disorders.

The book is set in 1935 when Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly were two of the famous prisoners to walk the halls of the prison. Al Capone was a notorious gangster who was in Alcatraz for tax evasion although he killed many people in opposing gangs.

The children of Alcatraz are fascinated by the prisoners as becomes clear when they sit on the rock so they can watch the prisoners walk past to the cells. This episode makes clear the scale of Alcatraz and shows a difference between the children and Natalie. Natalie seems uninterested by the prisoners and would rather play with the dirt around her to create her own place to be. Whereas, Piper Anne and Moose watch the prisoners trying to decide which of the prisoners is Al Capone.

Natalie is at first confusing to the other children and she is often in her own world. She has a talent with numbers and remembers on what pages you can find what facts in encyclopaedias. She has a problem with appearing to need buttons to simulate her brain. She improves and struggles with her autism on Alcatraz. However, she fails to settle into the school due to her brain condition and her age means she should not be allowed to attend the school anyway.

Al Capone Does My Shirts is an interesting take on what life on Alcatraz must have been like for the children. The book seems at times to move very slowly and there is no real dramatic crescendo to the plot. However, the historic nature of the book makes it fascinating to anyone who has an interest in the prison when it was working. The book is touching as the reader feels a sympathy and empathy with Moose who struggles to deal with Natalie’s condition. This book moves gently towards the final ending which really made me smile. If you enjoy Al Capone Does My Shirts why not try Notes From A Liar And Her Dog also written by Gennifer Choldenko?

CH Year 9