Al Capone Does My Shirts
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| Al Capone Does My Shirts | |
| Author | Gennifer Choldenko |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
| Publication date | 2004 |
Al Capone Does My Shirts is a children's book written in 2004 by Southern California-based children's literature author Gennifer Choldenko. The book was named a Newbery Honor selection.
The story revolves around a 12-year-old Matthew "Moose" Flanagan, his autistic sister Nat (Natalie), and their life on Alcatraz Island, which has become their home because of their father's job as a prison electrician and guard. The Flanagans are trying to get Nat into a special-education school known as "the Esther P. Marinoff". Along the way, Moose meets the warden's mischievous daughter Piper, and Annie, Theresa and Jimmy. Moose has to juggle friends, school and family, all while living on "the Rock", the grimly affectionate name for Alcatraz Island. During his stay there, he and his friends have adventures and scheme to make money from the fact that they live on the infamous prison island, including starting a laundry service which revolves around the idea of the Alcatraz children collecting money and sending their schoolmates' clothes to be washed at "the Rock" where it is known that they would be handled by the notorious prisoners such as Al "Scarface" Capone and "Machine Gun Kelly."
