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    Al Capone Does My Homework
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    Al Capone Does My Homework
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    Al Capone Does My Homework
    Audiobook6 hours

    Al Capone Does My Homework

    Written by Gennifer Choldenko

    Narrated by Kirby Heyborne

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Alcatraz Island in the 1930s isn't the most normal place to grow up, but it's home for Moose Flanagan, his autistic sister, Natalie, and all the families of the guards. When Moose's dad gets promoted to Associate Warden, despite being an unlikely candidate, it's a big deal. But the cons have a point system for targeting prison employees, and his dad is now in serious danger. After a fire starts in the Flanagan's apartment, Natalie is blamed, and Moose bands with the other kids to track down the possible arsonist. Then Moose gets a cryptic note from the notorious Al Capone himself. Is Capone trying to protect Moose's dad too? If Moose can't figure out what Capone's note means, it may be too late.

    The last heart-pounding installment in the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor-winning Alcatraz trilogy is not to be missed!

    "Superlative historical fiction." --School Library Journal (starred review for Al Capone Shines My Shoes)
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 20, 2013
    ISBN9780385361613
    Unavailable
    Al Capone Does My Homework
    Author

    Gennifer Choldenko

    GENNIFER CHOLDENKO is the author of Newbery Honor book Al Capone Does My Shirts, which was on the New York Times Bestseller list for six months, an ALA BBYA, an ALA Notable book, and received the Sid Fleischman Humor, in addition to other kudos. She graduated from Brandeis University and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. She previously worked at an advertising agency, and has written picture books as well. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and two children. www.choldenko.com

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    Reviews for Al Capone Does My Homework

    4/5

    1,071 ratings169 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Moose's family moves to Alcatraz when his father gets a job as an electrician for the prison and so that his autistic sister can have the chance to go to a special school in San Francisco. At first Moose hates living on the island and things are tense between him and his family. He also comes into conflict with one of the other kids there - the warden's sneaky daughter. Things seem completely unfair to Moose, but he grows to like living there, and learns just how special and helpful a part of his family he is. Such a neat and unique story, well told. Definitely recommended.
    • 4/5
      A fun and humorous story about the island of Alcatraz and the people who lived there in 1935. Moose Flanagan is the son of a guard-slash-electrician who reluctantly finds himself in new surroundings with new kids and a new school. This is the story about how Moose and his family keep on looking for solutions to their problems even as they face obstacle after obstacle. This was a funny story with an endearing plot. I think it would be appealing to 5th or 6th or 7th graders because it deals with transitions, changes, and feeling like an outsider. I also recognized while reading that the chapters tend to be 3 to 5 pages. This always kept me turning pages when I was a kid.
    • 4/5
      Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatraz so that Moose's father can become a guard. Life isn't quite the same on the island. Moose and his autistic sister Natalie live an isolated life as some of the few children on Alcatraz.
    • 5/5
      Al Capone does my shirts is about a boy who has to move to an island with a jail that has all the big time gansters and mobsters are at.
    • 5/5
      When Moose moves to Alcatraz Islan so that his father can become a guard, life just isn't the same for him any more. He has to livve with a few other kids on the island and his autistic sister Natalie.
    • 4/5
      This is the second time I read this book and enjoyed it even more the second time. I think the name is wrong beause the money making plot for selling laundry was only a small part of the story but I guess that's ok. The book is really all about Natalie and what is to become of her. I was very upset when the warden blamed Moose for the laundry scheme but not half as upset when his father came down on him so hard just for knowing about the plot even though he really didn't take part in it. That would have been a hard one for a kid to rat out the only friends he has. But in the father's defense, when you have a pretty good job in the heart of the depression, you can't let anything jeopardize it even if you have to compromise a situation.
    • 4/5
      30. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. 1935 is a life changing year for Moose Flanagan and his family. Twelve year-old Moose's father has found work on Alcatraz Island and that means the family has to move to the island, living in an apartment building just minutes away from the cell block that houses famous criminals like Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. There are a handful of children on the island, including Piper, the spoiled daughter of the warden who gets the other kids in trouble and pushes Moose around. He also resents having to care for his older sister Natalie after school every day as his parents work all the hours they can to raise money for her behavioral treatments. Throughout his problems, Moose looks forward to playing baseball at school. This is a really well done story of a boy with bigger family problems than most.
    • 2/5
      I did not like this read. I really wanted to, my daughter and I had recently been to Alcatraz and she spoke highly of this book. I, I was disappointed. Rather than being about anything on the cover, title included, this book was mostly about a family learning to deal with their autistic daughter/sister. Definitely not what I was expecting. The characters are mostly dislikable - "Moose" whines a lot, the mom seems crazy, and Piper is a horrible, horrible girl. Over and over, I wondered what was wrong with these people, but not really caring at all. I will not be reading more in this series.p.s. - I know this is a children's book, but it could easily be used for a drinking game! The author uses the name of the "Esther P. Marinoff School" more often than the "f" word is used in the movie "Midnight Run"! If you drink when you see those words, well, you ain't making it very far in these pages!
    • 3/5
      A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister. (BCCLS)Newbery Honor
    • 2/5
      Moose Flanagan and his family move Alcatraz Island in 1935, so his father can work as a prison guard. The family struggles to find a good school for their developmentally disabled older daughter Natalie.
    • 5/5
      I love Love LOVE this book. Everyone should read it. I literally just closed the cover and already want to read it again. (Thankfully, there's a sequel.) It's 1935, and Moose's family moves to Alcatraz when his father gets a job as a prison guard. Moose has to make new friends at his new school, but the warden's daughter keeps tripping him up. On the home front, Moose's older sister Natalie would be diagnosed as autistic, if the term existed back then. No one really understands her, and since Moose has to take care of her, she makes it that much harder for him to adjust. Moose's family struggles with Natalie's development and getting her into a special school by lying about her age, but when even that doesn't work, Moose takes matters into his own hands. This book is really clever, and so honest that it tugs at your heart and will more than likely make you tear up. I love that there is so much history in it - I never knew that families actually lived on Alcatraz! The author includes a section at the end citing her sources and inspiration, with an extensive bibliography that I'm eager to follow up with.
    • 5/5
      Moose Flannagan thinks his world has come to an end when his father gets a double job as guard and electrician at Alcatraz, and their family has to move there. (Historical note: most guards and their families, children and all, really did live on Alcatraz island with the prison.) Moose is really big for a 13-year-old, but he's a really good boy, and he helps look after his older sister Natalie, who would be diagnosed today as severely autistic. His father works all the time, and his mother is obsessed with finding treatment for Natalie. Knowing that children will get treatment more easily than teens or adults, Mrs. Flannagan has celebrated Natalie's 10th birthday, six times in a row. Her 15-year-old daughter is still being presented as a 10-year-old.There are a few other children on Alcatraz, among them the sweet outgoing 7-year-old Teresa, and Moose's age, Piper, the devious, possible sociopath daughter of the prison warden.The story's focus is mainly on how Moose copes with having a "10-year-old" older sister who can't function among other people. He loves his sister, but isn't blind to the ways he suffers because of her either.I liked the twist at the very end.
    • 5/5
      Moose Flanagan is twelve when his family moves to Alcatraz Island, where his father will work both as an electrician and a prison guard. His excitement at being in close proximity with famous criminals like Al Capone is tempered by his increasing responsibility for his older sister, Natalie, who is developmentally delayed. Moose's parents are counting on Natalie's admission to the Esther P. Marinoff school with its track record of success with children like Natalie. However, things don't work out exactly as planned.This story is nearly perfect. It has a great cast of children, including tiny, big-hearted Theresa, Moose's classmate and fellow baseball player, Scout, and the warden's obnoxious daughter Piper. Although middle grade readers are the target audience for the book, it will appeal to many adult readers. The only flaw for adult readers are the somewhat flat adult characters. They're not as bad as the adults in the Charlie Brown TV specials (wah Wah wah wah Wah wah), but they're not fully developed, either.
    • 5/5
      I LOVED this book! I just happened upon it too-it was only like a dollar through scholastic. So I wasn't expecting much, but now I'm wondering how nobody has ever mentioned this book to me before. Such a cute coming-of-age story set in a very unique setting. Also, I loved the insights to autism. Wow, it would be hard to live with that. I loved the voice, it drew me in from the very beginning and never let up. It's one of those books I wish I knew how to write, one of the better kids' books I've ever read.
    • 4/5
      This book was actually pretty good, I liked how they used Al Capone. This story followed this young boy, Moose and his sister, Natalie. Natalie has autism and her mother wasn't the most accepting of her disability. Moose spends most of his time taking care of his sister while his dad works as a prison guard at Alcatraz. I thought the message was to treat others how you would like to be treated, and family should always help one another. These were the messages because I couldn't get over the fact that the mom was trying everything to get Natalie away, and wasn't accepting of Natalie for who she was.
    • 5/5
      Set in 1935, Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatraz Island because his father has a job as a prison guard. He needs this job because it pays well enough for his sister, Natalie, who is diagnosed with Autism, to go to the best school that she can. They are not the only families on the island -- other parents hold down jobs in the prison as well, such as cooks or engineers. There are 23 other kids that Moose tries to befriend via America's favorite pastime: baseball. However, the warden's daughter, Piper, tries to keep them all in line. Living next door to notorious and infamous criminals like Al Capone is really only the beginning of the trouble. This book was fantastically written. There is humor and happiness, in addition to the interesting process of the childhood mind. But, there is an equal level of sadness, frustration and pity for the struggle that the Flanagan family goes through while taking care of Natalie, starting life on the island, and learning to understand one another. In modern times, Autism is a disease with little concrete evidence. There are so many variables and anomalies. I can't even begin to imagine the fear of having a child with such a great communication disorder in a time, just after the Great Depression, where there is so little evidence and fact regarding the cure of the disease. I would read this book again and again, and I think it would make an incredibly valuable asset to the 5-7th grade classrooms.
    • 4/5
      A Newbery Award winner, this novel tells the story of a boy whose father is a guard at Alcatraz. The guards' families including children actually live on the island. Most families felt safer there than living in San Francisco because the prison guards were always around.This is also a novel about the consequences for a family who have an autistic child. Moose Flanagan's sister is older than him and she is autistic. He resents the move to Alcatraz for it means he has to spend more time looking after his sister as he mother must now work. As he forms a more substantial relationship with his sister, he comes to understand her and what she needs. The reader learns much about what it was like to live beside the most famous prison in America plus the constraints on families living during the Great Depression for the novel is in 1935.
    • 5/5
      This book is such a fun read... it is a historical piece that embodies San Francisco, Alcatraz during its opening year in the 1930s. This book also takes on big topics such as autism.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Chapter Book. Although it is targeted for a younger age group, I think that the story is compelling and sends out a great message. I think that the big message is that family always comes first. An example of how this story was compelling was when Piper, the warden's daughter, was asking too many personal questions about Natalie. Natalie's older brother, Moose, is very protective over her and he makes sure that no one tries to mess with her. Even when the warden asks about her, Moose is very persistent and tells him to not bring her into the conversation. I really liked that Moose stood up for Natalie and was not shy when people started to ask questions or poke fun at her. And that I did not like about this story was the mother. Whenever Moose would voice his opinion about something he did not feel was right, she would shut him out and not talk to him for a whole month. I don't think that any mother should do that to her child. Moose just needed some attention like Natalie was getting and his mother just could not take it. I understand why this had to be done in the story, but I still did not like reading that the mother was ignoring her son.
    • 4/5
      This is a story about a boy whose family has just moved to Alcatraz Island and he has to adjust to the new surroundings of living by a prison, dealing with a new school and trying to make friends, as well as continue to navigate the tough situation his sister is in because she is autistic and in the 1930's that was not something that was widely talked about or accepted. The boy, nicknamed Moose finds new friends who also live on the island and they get into all sorts of trouble with their different schemes and Natalie, Moose's sister is trying to get into a special school. Moose learns a lot about himself, and his sister and what it means to be a good brother and friend and what trying to do the right thing throughout this book. There are no illustrations because this is a chapter book well suited to later elementary age students or middle schoolers. I think this is a fantastic book for discussions about understanding what disabilities are and specifically autism. It talks about the good parts and the difficult parts of knowing someone with autism and how they deal with that. I think that it also allows for discussion about fitting in and making friends when you are put in a new place or situation, such as moving. There are students who can relate to both of those topics. Teachers could use this book as an option for small group "book club" reading times in their classrooms. It is a fun book because of the interesting setting and can also spark good discussion.
    • 4/5
      I had mixed feelings about this book. I was very interested in it at first because the family lives on Alcatraz, but the book was mainly about Moose's sister Natalie. I liked that this book introduced children to what life is like with a sibling who has a disability. I thought it showed a unique perspective because the story is written from Moose's point of view. However, I was hoping for more about Al Capone and Alcatraz. The title of the book is deceiving. The part of the book where the children are selling laundry to their classmates that the inmates washed was minuscule compared to the length of the book. I feel like the book was titled, "Al Capone Does My Shirts" in order to attract male readers. While it is great that male readers will choose this book and be exposed to the powerful story of Moose and his autistic sister, I felt that the Alcatraz setting was forced. This book had a lot more potential. The main message of the story is that growing up can mean more responsibility.
    • 3/5
      I think this was a decent book for young readers. I did like the fact that it chose a controversial topic to write about. The children who lived on the island were around convicts and criminals in their daily life, so it shows an interesting perspective on a child who is exposed to that environment. I did not like that it did not talk about Al Capone very much. He plays a very little part in the book, except in the ending with the note. I wish he played a bigger part. The message of this book is that even bad people can do good things.
    • 4/5
      This book is always a favorite with the kids. There is something about Moose's sister that really speaks to kids. Maybe it is because of the rise in autism or because we all know someone who is a little quirky. The prison itself is interesting and the idea of taking a boat to school is a great image for the kids.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars. Great storytelling, just not my very favorite. I totally see the value of assigning it in the classroom, and it had an engaging cast of characters. Perhaps my enjoyment was impaired by the audio version, which was not the greatest I've ever heard, though completely adequate.
    • 2/5
      I feel like that this book is more of a realistic fiction with some historical aspects. The main theme of the book was family and the struggles with autism. While I enjoyed the aspect how this book was a quick read, I did not really feel this was a historical fiction book. I felt that it was more kids being kids happening to use Alcatraz Island as the setting and some of the prisoners. While I think the island itself probably did in fact employ many people, I have a hard time believing that people other than the warden lived on the island.While Alcatraz and the inmates are not the primary topic, the Authors' note also does not provide much either. While, this book is meant to be historical fiction, I found there to be little historical context. I personally would have liked more impact of the prison than the hype talk in school. I typically am not a fan of historical fiction. Historical facts aside (or in this case, lack of facts), I find that the story to be enjoyable. Moose I feel is the average young boy. He loves baseball, and is angry when he has to skip his games. I feel this adds a good dimension to his character. I also think that there are some factors that make him a little too wise for his years. I was surprised he did not fall more to peer pressure with the laundry service.I am a bit mystified by the Natalie character. She is well developed for the most part, with her autistic tempers, her fixation on things (buttons), and odd speech. While I think that a school term is a pretty fast developmental change for an autistic child, if she was really as severe as the author portrays. I am also a little confused about why the parents were convinced that she was going to continuously be 10. I feel like the misconceptions of autism and the fear of being placed in an asylum vs. a school are both legitimate. There were not many choices offered in the 1930's for families with autistic children, but I feel like that there are some frustrations with this were not really explored in the book.I found the story interesting. It is mostly a series events, rather than any real rising or falling action. I found this to be disappointing. I was also disappointed in the parents. While I understand the frustrations that the parents had a lot to deal with, they just seemed to neglect a lot of parental duties. For example, I was amazed that they did not get angry over the convict issue.
    • 5/5
      Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko. This was a fun novel to read, and very interesting. The story is fun, and adventures, but has a plot twist here and there. I feel the big picture of the story is to never lose hope. My favorite element of this book would have to be the characters, and how well developed they were. Moose was very easy to relate to and I feel almost any boy his age would understand the hardship of having to watch their sister every day. Knowing that you can't do anything after school other than watch your sister would be tough on any kid and is easy to relate to. Also Moose's protectiveness of his sister is amazing. In the world today kids realize how they have to protect their siblings and I feel this would be another great character connection for kids. Another great aspect of this story was the push topic of Moose's sister. The discussion of this topic is extremely important, but I feel the author was not very historically correct with how they treated Natalie. From learning about special needs kids I know that children like her were killed or locked away, more often than not and the author kind of skimmed over this. If a child read this they might not understand why the mom is so frantic about getting her into the school. This was an amazing aspect, which added to the story in many ways. The last part of the story I enjoyed was the language. I have a very hard to reading stories that drag out description of settings and locations. In turn I really liked how the author described the location throughout the story instead of packing it all into one chapter like many books do. The book was written wonderfully and allowed me to paint pictures in my head, also allowing me to create my own ideas of characters looks. I overall enjoyed reading this book, but felt there were some odd aspects to it at times.
    • 2/5
      I was not a big fan of this book. I liked that it was a historical fiction book but I did not like some aspects of it. For example, Natalie has the traits of a child with autism, but that is never really stated. And more importantly, I did not like how her mother pretended that she was the younger sibling when she was actually seventeen years old. I found it to be insulting and not very realistic. However, I did like the main character and how determined he was to reach his goals and dreams. The author's main message was clearly about Alcatraz and what it was like to live there when the prison was still open.
    • 5/5
      Five stars! Immediately draws you in. Compelling: the idea of living near bad guys, the prisoners. Palpable: Moose's affection and concern for his sister, his frustration with his mother, frustrations of taking on an adult role and missing out on boy opportunities. Don't quite see Natalie's progress--shows up in sudden spurts. Her excellent interview and joke making. Well-portrayed: the hard-working Dad, frustrated mom. The manipulative Piper, sweet Annie, compassionate Theresa. The school kids portrayed like real kids.
    • 5/5
      I think this is a fun book to read with 5-8 grade students. While reading it with my 5th grade boy, we ended up talking about a lot of the different themes woven into the story, including autism and the history of Alacatraz.
    • 4/5
      Moose and his family live on Alcatraz island where his father is employed as an electrician. He has an autistic sister Natalie and an overprotective and demanding mother. Moose struggles to find a balance between asserting his independence and being a good younger, watchful brother towards his sister. The warden's manipulative daughter hatches a scheme to advertise that her schoolmates could have their laundry cleaned by Al Capone, an inmate in the prison who shares laundry duty with the other prisoners. Moose becomes reluctantly wrapped into this plan. Meanwhile his mother has been trying to get Natalie into a special school on the mainland which requires more responsibility and pressures for Moose. Things become complicated but resolve in a believable conclusion.