Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

‘Al Capone Does My Shirts’ is the story of a twelve year old boy, called Mathew (Moose) Flanagan, who’s just moved to the island of Alcatraz, because his Dad’s just got a job as an electrician and prison guard there. Not only does he then have to get to grips with his knew school and trying to find new friends, but also he has to help his family look after his 15 year old sister, Natalie, who has Autism, which at the time hadn’t been discovered, as he is the only one of the family that seems to be able to connect with her.

Throughout the story, Natalie is trying to get into Esther P. Marinoff School; however the experts say that she isn’t ready to go there. No-one really knows how to deal with Natalie, as Autism hadn’t been recognised at that time, and the only thing that seems to calm her down are her box of buttons and numbers. As a result of no-one knowing how to deal with her, Moose and his mum get into a lot of rows about what to do, which causes tension in the family.

But even though life in this story for Moose may be difficult, he looks at life in a positive way and tries his best. He can handle situations well, and seems to know how to handle his sister far better than his other family members, which is proven when only he is able to get her off the boat, by reading the indexes of a book incorrectly, as he knows she will correct him. He also knows how to deal with the people who don’t know what to make of Natalie. He sticks up for her, and looks after her like a loving brother would, which is one of the main reasons this story is so believable. He uses her flair for numbers to prove that although she may have Autism, she is not as stupid as Piper, one of Moose’s school friends, thinks she is.

Al Capone, an inmate in the Alcatraz prison, may not be featured as much as you would think he would be, in a story with a title based on him, however there is an element of curiosity throughout the story, from both the readers and the characters, or who and what Al Capone is really like. Although he is not a main character, he does play a large part in the story, especially in getting Natalie into Esther P. Marinoff School. In the final part of the story, he becomes a main part of the plot, however the only word throughout the story that is from him, is the word “Done”.

Although this story may not have a real plot, what makes it a great book is the fact that Moose, the main character, is so likeable and realistic. He looks at life with a positive frame of mind and makes the most of what he’s got, even when he’s put into situations he’d rather not be in. Teenage readers can really relate to him, and the way he acts towards his sister leaves you with a “rich and heart-warming” impression of the book.

SM Yr9