Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Life on Alcatraz Island is just as confining for the guards and their families as it is for the prisoners. Take, for instance, the guard's son Moose Flanagan. He loves baseball, but his games are limited by the island's size, the prison walls, and the inexperienced players. His friendships are reduced to other Alcatraz kids, including the warden's troublesome daughter, Piper. His family life is stretched thin by a touch-and-go father, an Autistic, older sister, and a struggling mother. But a risky connection to the inmate, Al Capone, might either save his family or banish them from the island.

Al Capone Does My Shirts takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride: the dips of depression, the jamming of jealously, the loops of love, and the twists of trouble. Moose's story is heart-wrenching, but hopeful as he discusses how Alcatraz shapes his life. Through Moose's narrative, Choldenko reveals what life was like before Autism was recognized and treated. Al Capone Does My Shirts is deserving of its Newbery Honor because of the soul Choldenko knits into her words. A thought-provoking read appropriate for ages 12 and up. The next book in the series is Al Capone Shines My Shoes.