Al Capone Does My Shirts Background and Intro West Island College Secondary I
Alcatraz Also known as “The Rock” 1 mile from San Francisco Opened as a Federal prison in 1934
Break the rules and you go to prison. Break the prison rules and you go to Alcatraz…
Why Alcatraz? Escape-proof: Because of its geographic location and harsh terrain, escaping from Alcatraz was close to impossible
Why Alcatraz? Fame: Like today, in the 1930s some criminals were as famous as movie stars. Alcatraz was created to make sure these criminals stayed out of the spotlight and received no special treatment. Capone’s cell before Alcatraz: Capone’s cell at Alcatraz
Did you know??? Alcatraz was the only prison at the time to offer hot showers to its prisoners. This was not meant to be a luxury; it was so that the prisoners would not become acclimatized to cold water and not be tempted to swim the frigid bay waters
Who was sent to Alcatraz? Problematic prisoners from other prisons were sent to Alcatraz if they: Were considered a threat to other guards or prisoners Were suspected to attempt an escape Were getting too much media attention
Al “Scarface” Capone Most famous criminal to enter Alcatraz Lost all special privileges and was reduced to the same status as all other inmates Bootlegger Mafioso Tax Evasion
George “Machine Gun” Kelly Kidnapped a wealthy oil tycoon Bank robber Was famous before entering Alcatraz
Robert “Birdman” Stroud Murderer Once in prison, he stabbed his cellmate, then killed a prison guard Sent to Alcatraz as final resort Became a bird expert while in Alcatraz
Annie “Can be Bribed with Food” Krespil Gave too much homework Tortured students by singing to them
The Novel
Synopsis Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatraz Island in If it isn’t difficult enough being twelve, having a sister who needs lots of attention, and dealing with over-protective parents, Moose is also living on an island with some of the world’s most notorious criminals.
The Depression (1930’s) The Depression caused massive unemployment. Many people didn’t have a lot of money at that time, and they were desperate to seek work and make money. This might explain why Moose’s father took a job working at Alcatraz.
Prohibition (late 1920s-early 1930s) Prohibition made it illegal to produce and sell alcohol in America. Powerful gangs formed to create a black market to smuggle alcohol. Al Capone, among many others, was a man caught for smuggling alcohol. This helps to explain the surge of criminals in jail at that time.
Ideas to explore in the novel Autism Family dynamics Coming of age Independence Depression Poverty Peer pressure
Global editions of the novel
Awards Newbery Honor 2005 CBC-NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People ALA Notable Book ALA Notable Recording American Literacy Corporation Literary Choice Award AudioFile Magazine Best of the Best Audio Books Best Book for Young Adults Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year Book Sense Pick of the List Summer 2004 Borders Original Voice California Library Association Beatty Award California Library Association Focal Award Capital Choices Noteworthy Books for Children Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Children’s Book of the Month Selection Children’s Bookseller’s Award— Favorite Novel of the Year CUFFIE'S Best Title of the Year Journal de Mickey Award Judy Lopez Honor Award Junior Library Guild Selection Keystone State Reading Association YA Book Award Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year London Times and NASEN New York Library Best 100 Books for Reading and Sharing New York Library’s 2005 Books for the Teen Age New York Times Bestseller List for more than 6 months Northern California Book Award Parents' Choice Silver Medal Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year Recorded Books Audio Version San Francisco Chronicle Top Ten Children's Books of 2004 Scholastic Book Club (Literature Circle) Selection School Library Journal Best Book of the Year YALSA Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults Short-listed for the Carnegie Medal (UK) Special Needs Award (UK) VOYA's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2004
About the Author FAQs about Gennifer Choldenko Q: Where were you born? Santa Monica, California Q: How many kids were in your family? Four. I was the youngest in my family and the youngest of all my cousins. My nicknames were: Snot-Nose, Short Stuff, and Shrimp. Q: Do you have kids? Yes. I have two terrific kids: a son, Ian, age 12, and a daughter, Kai, age 7. Q: Do you have any pets? Yes. I have a white German Shepherd named Sophie. We call her the Houdini dog because she is able to escape from anywhere. Q: Where do you live? I live in the San Francisco Bay area.