I enjoyed this book a lot. I couldn't put this book down until I finished it-- it was such a page-turner!. This book deals with a historical locus which caught both public and journalistic attention recently. The author cleverly evades the danger of being banal in its description of the place and rather renders the the story so vivid and interesting.

Fantastic book. For me, the topic for family discussion would be the treatment of Moose's sister, Natalie. Natalie is developmentally delayed and her illlness looks a lot like Autism. The family's whole life surrounds getting help for Natalie in a time where asylums seemed to be the most convenient solution. This could result in a great family discussion about the treatment of those with disabilities.

I love this book. I thought it was so funny, but it had lots of reality, too. It really showed what it might be like to have a sister who's austistic. I thought that Gennifer Choldenko did a great job with this novel.

The Flanagan family lived in Santa Monica, California. They then move to Alcatraz Island when their dad is given a job guarding towers there, so his sister, Natalie, can go to a special school just for autistic children. Moose is forced to leave all of his friends behind him and pick up somewhere in a totally different place and lifestyle. Staying out of trouble is especially difficult for Moose when the warden’s daughter, Piper, is around. She is a pretty girl and a manipulative troublemaker. From selling their laundry services, to writing secret letters to the famous Al Capone, Piper is always finding different ways to get Moose into trouble. Natalie lasts a day and a half at the Esther P. Marinoff School, so his parents ask him to watch her while they are at work. He is a 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 job. When he finds out Natalie was rejected from the school, he writes a secret note to Al Capone, asking him to help her. He does, and Natalie is accepted into a school for older autistic children.