Al Capone Does My Shirts

About this book

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 BookA New York Times BestsellerA People magazine "Best kid's Book"An ALA Book for Young AdultsAn ALA Notable BookA School Library Journal Best Book of the YearA Krikus Reviews Editor's ChoiceA San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the YearA Publishers Weekly Best Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Silver Honor BookA New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" SelectionA 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