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Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
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Al Capone Does My Shirts

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

Read by Kirby Heyborne

By Gennifer Choldenko
On Tour

Read by Kirby Heyborne

Best Seller

Part of Tales from Alcatraz

Part of Tales from Alcatraz

Part of Tales from Alcatraz

Part of Tales from Alcatraz

Paperback $8.99

Apr 20, 2006 | ISBN 9780142403709 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

Hardcover $17.99

Mar 30, 2004 | ISBN 9780399238611 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

Ebook $8.99

Apr 20, 2006 | ISBN 9781440629631 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

Audiobook Download $15.00

Sep 08, 2009 | 371 Minutes | Middle Grade (10 and up)

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    Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
    Hardcover $17.99
    Mar 30, 2004 | ISBN 9780399238611

    Buy from Other Retailers:

    See All Formats (3) +
    • $8.99

      Apr 20, 2006 | ISBN 9780142403709 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • $17.99

      Mar 30, 2004 | ISBN 9780399238611 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • Apr 20, 2006 | ISBN 9781440629631 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • Sep 08, 2009 | ISBN 9780307582362 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

      371 Minutes

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About Al Capone Does My Shirts

    The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a prisoner, but as a kid meeting some of the most famous criminals in our history. Al Capone Does My Shirts has become an instant classic for all kids to read!

    Today I moved to Alcatraz, a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I’m not the only kid who lives here. There are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. And then there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don’t want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you’re me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

    A Newbery Honor Book
    A New York Times Bestseller
    A People magazine “Best kid’s Book”
    An ALA Book for Young Adults
    An ALA Notable Book
    A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
    A Krikus Reviews Editor’s Choice
    A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
    A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
    A Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Book
    A New York Public Library “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing” Selection
    A New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age

    *”Choldenko’s pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
    *”Exceptionally atmospheric, fast-paced and memorable!”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
    *”The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers.”—School Library Journal, starred review

    “Al is the perfect novel for a young guy or moll who digs books by Gordon Korman, or Louis Sachar.”—Time Out New York for Kids

    “Funny situations and plot twists abound!”—People magazine

    “Heartstopping in some places, heartrending in others, and most of all, it is heartwarming.”—San Francisco Chronicle


    About Al Capone Does My Shirts

    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.

    About Al Capone Does My Shirts

    The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a prisoner, but as a kid meeting some of the most famous criminals in our history. Al Capone Does My Shirts has become an instant classic for all kids to read!

    Today I moved to Alcatraz, a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I’m not the only kid who lives here. There are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. And then there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don’t want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you’re me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

    A Newbery Honor Book
    A New York Times Bestseller
    A People magazine “Best kid’s Book”
    An ALA Book for Young Adults
    An ALA Notable Book
    A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
    A Krikus Reviews Editor’s Choice
    A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
    A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
    A Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Book
    A New York Public Library “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing” Selection
    A New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age

    *”Choldenko’s pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
    *”Exceptionally atmospheric, fast-paced and memorable!”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
    *”The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers.”—School Library Journal, starred review

    “Al is the perfect novel for a young guy or moll who digs books by Gordon Korman, or Louis Sachar.”—Time Out New York for Kids

    “Funny situations and plot twists abound!”—People magazine

    “Heartstopping in some places, heartrending in others, and most of all, it is heartwarming.”—San Francisco Chronicle


    About Al Capone Does My Shirts

    1935
    I want to be on Alcatraz like I want poison oak on my private parts. But apparently nobody cares, because now I’m Moose Flanagan, Alcatraz Island Boy–all so my sister can go to the Esther P. Marinoff School, where kids wear their clothes inside out and there isn’t a book in sight. Obedient Moose. I always do what I’m supposed to do.

    When Moose’s family moves to Alcatraz Island so his father can work as a guard and his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, he has to leave his friends behind. But it’s worth it, right? If his sister, Natalie, can get help, maybe his family will finally be normal.

    But on Alcatraz his dad is so busy, he’s never around. His mom’s preoccupation with Natalie’s condition (today, it would be called autism) is even worse now that there’s no extended family to help. And of course, there’s never enough money.

    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.

    Listen to a sample from Al Capone Does My Shirts

    Also by Gennifer Choldenko

    The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
    Orphan Eleven
    One-Third Nerd
    Dad and the Dinosaur
    Chasing Secrets
    See all books by Gennifer Choldenko

    Also by Gennifer Choldenko

    The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
    Orphan Eleven
    One-Third Nerd
    Dad and the Dinosaur
    Chasing Secrets
    See all books by Gennifer Choldenko

    Also by Gennifer Choldenko

    The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
    Orphan Eleven
    One-Third Nerd
    Dad and the Dinosaur
    Chasing Secrets
    See all books by Gennifer Choldenko

    Also by Gennifer Choldenko

    The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
    Orphan Eleven
    One-Third Nerd
    Dad and the Dinosaur
    Chasing Secrets
    See all books by Gennifer Choldenko

    About Gennifer Choldenko

    Gennifer Choldenko was the youngest in a family of four kids, where her nickname was “Snot-Nose.” Her quirky sense of humor made its debut at the dinner table when Gennifer was a very little kid. She is the author of seven… More about Gennifer Choldenko

    About Gennifer Choldenko

    Gennifer Choldenko was the youngest in a family of four kids, where her nickname was “Snot-Nose.” Her quirky sense of humor made its debut at the dinner table when Gennifer was a very little kid. She is the author of seven… More about Gennifer Choldenko

    About Gennifer Choldenko

    Gennifer Choldenko was the youngest in a family of four kids, where her nickname was “Snot-Nose.” Her quirky sense of humor made its debut at the dinner table when Gennifer was a very little kid. She is the author of seven… More about Gennifer Choldenko

    About Gennifer Choldenko

    Gennifer Choldenko was the youngest in a family of four kids, where her nickname was “Snot-Nose.” Her quirky sense of humor made its debut at the dinner table when Gennifer was a very little kid. She is the author of seven… More about Gennifer Choldenko

    Product Details

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Historical Fiction

    Paperback | $8.99
    Published by Puffin Books
    Apr 20, 2006 | 288 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-3/4 | Middle Grade (10 and up) | ISBN 9780142403709

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Historical Fiction

    Hardcover | $17.99
    Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
    Mar 30, 2004 | 240 Pages | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 | Middle Grade (10 and up) | ISBN 9780399238611

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Historical Fiction

    Ebook | $8.99
    Published by Puffin Books
    Apr 20, 2006 | 240 Pages | Middle Grade (10 and up) | ISBN 9781440629631

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Historical Fiction | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $15.00
    Published by Listening Library
    Sep 08, 2009 | 371 Minutes | Middle Grade (10 and up) | ISBN 9780307582362

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    Praise

    “Choldenko’s pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

    Awards

    ALA Best Books for Young Adults WINNER

    ALA Notable Book WINNER

    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing WINNER

    New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age WINNER

    Newbery Honor Book WINNER

    Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year – Adult WINNER

    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year WINNER

    ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings SELECTION 2005

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