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Book Summary

Reviewed by Matt Berman

Moose's father has taken a job as an electrician at Alcatraz and his family has moved to the island, all so that his autistic sister Natalie can go to a special school in San Francisco for disturbed children. On the island the children of the guards are dominated by Piper, the warden's daughter, a pretty and manipulative troublemaker whose father dotes on her, and whose schemes always manage to get others in trouble, never herself.

Natalie lasts 36 hours at the school before they kick her out, so Moose is saddled with taking care of her while his parents work. Moose is a good, responsible brother, but the burdens placed on him are sometimes too much to bear, and just trying to keep out of trouble with Piper around is a full-time occupation. Includes labeled photo of Alcatraz Island, and an Author's Note with footnotes.

Is It Any Good?

2

The ALA's Newbery Committee is often inscrutable at best, but this has to be a new low. The Newbery Honor assures that AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS will be in every children's library, and many classroom reading programs, and the publisher's age recommendation of age 8 and up places it solidly in middle elementary. Yet the strong sexual themes, though stated obliquely, make one wonder what the publishers were thinking.

Aside from inappropriate content, readers may find the book just plain annoying. From the moment Piper is introduced -- pretty but headstrong and devious warden's daughter who acts perfect in front of adults -- any experienced reader will know exactly where this is going, and they'll be right. The only original touch is that she's not the preacher's daughter.

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