by Gennifer Choldenko (Author)
Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and when she's denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose's family has used for dealing with her disorder.
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 parents' expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island with their families. Choldenko's second novel brings humor to the complexities of family dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the "good boy" stance he's taken his whole life.
Author Biography
Gennifer Choldenko is the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor Award-winning author of ten children's books, including Notes From a Liar and Her Dog, If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, No Passengers Beyond this Point, Al Capone Does My Shirts, Al Capone Shines My Shoes, and Al Capone Does My Homework. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Number of Pages: 228
Dimensions: 0.91 x 8.58 x 5.76 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: March 30, 2004
Award: Newbery Medal (2005)
Award: Texas Lone Star Reading List (2006)
Award: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award (2006)
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Al Capone Does My Shirts
Interest Level: Middle Grades, 4-8
Reading Level: 3.5
Point Value: 7
