Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
May 1, 2004/in Fiction 10-14 Middle/Secondary /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 146 May 2004
Reviewer: Annabel Gibb
ISBN: 978-0747568988
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noonGuaranteed packagingNo quibbles returns
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 10-14 Middle/Secondary
Length: 240pp
Buy the Book

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Author: Gennifer Choldenko

Moose and his family are new to Alcatraz Island where his father is a prison officer. It is 1935 and Al Capone is one of the inmates… Moose quickly discovers that the Island children’s subculture is dominated by Piper, the Warden’s daughter, who uses her position to cook up all sorts of schemes. Moose is concerned for the welfare of his sister Natalie, who suffers from what we now know as autism.

I commend this book for its sympathetic picture of a family struggling to accept and make the best of a difficult condition: the empathy of the other children towards both Moose and Natalie is a wonderfully unaffected model for the reader; not forced but simple and unselfconscious. Moose’s mixed feelings towards Natalie are well-depicted, as is his genuine amazement and joy as she begins to progress. His final scheme, involving Capone, successfully picks up on an earlier ploy of Piper’s.

The author’s note at the end of the book shows thorough research regarding the Alcatraz of the ’30s, and explains her particular interest in autism. This incidentally introduces the young reader to academic referencing should they wish to find out more. A warm, affectionate introduction to an increasingly common condition, presented with humour and realism.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2004-05-01 10:04:282023-06-15 10:08:30Al Capone Does My Shirts

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 273 July 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Debut Authors and Interrupters – the 2025 Little Rebels Award Shortlist

July 17, 2025

The School Library Association Announces Honours Lists for 2025 Awards

July 14, 2025

Margaret McDonald and her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu win the 2025 Branford Boase Award

July 9, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
Freedom Flight As Good as Dead in Downtown
Scroll to top