As many people with autistic siblings know, learning to understand and live with an autistic brother or sister can be tough. It's especially difficult in the novel 'Al Capone Does My Shirts' by Gennifer Chlodenko, which is set on Alcatraz in 1935.
Moose Flanagan's family has bounced from place to place, trying to find treatment for his sister Nat, who has a severe form of autism. Finally they hit on the "perfect" place: Alcatraz Island. There, his father works as a security guard, and they're close to the ideal school to treat Nat. The only person whose needs were never considered was Moose. And everything gets worse after the Esther P. Marinoff School rejects Nat, and taking care of her falls to him.
Luckily for Moose, he's not as isolated on Alcatraz as he thought. He befriends Piper, the warden's daughter -- and the two of them discover that the name of Al Capone carries more weight than they thought. Enough to start an undercover laundry business at school, and maybe enough to get Nat the education she needs.
'Al Capone Does My Shirts' won the California Young Reader Medal and the Newberry Honor Award. Its treatment of historical and family issues is sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, always compassionate. Autism is still a widely misunderstood condition, and readers can empathize with Moose as he tries to understand his sister in a time where she is considered a freak. 'Al Capone Does My Shirts' is not only an entertaining read, it is a relevant one.
There is also a sequel, 'Al Capone Shines My Shoes,' and author Gennifer Chlodenko plans to release a third book, 'Al Capone Does My Homework.'
