Genre 5 - Historical Fiction
"Rea[d] one of the following historical novels"
Plot Summary
Moose's family moves to Alcatraz island so that his father can work as an electrician for the prison and his sister can go to a nearby school that works with autistic children. Unfortunately, his sister does not work out in the school well enough and Moose is stuck caring for her more than he would like. Moose is socially forced to go along with the warden's manipulative daughter's plans, such as sneaking schoolmates' clothes into their own laundry done by the prisoners, and often ends up in trouble as a result. Over the course of the novel Moose helps his sister to grow and adapt, and the two of them convince their family that she is no longer the little girl they keep trying to pass her off as.Critical Analysis
The social stigma and other problems associated with living with an autistic sibling before autism was recognized is well portrayed in this novel. The historical era's reaction to and treatment of the unknown mental condition is fairly accurate. The historical representation of Alcatraz was also quite accurate, both in the prison inmates and the worker's housing environment. This book shows what life was like for those who worked at the prison facility and their families, an often overlooked portion of Alcatraz's history.Choldenko has quite clearly done her homework as regards Alcatraz and autism, as evidenced by her authors notes and bibliography which disclose that she worked as a docent on Alcatraz for a year in the late nineties and grew up with an autistic sister of her own. Any inaccuracies are explained also in her author's note as she explains that the weather is not exact to 1935, but is instead general weather for the area, and that the Esther P. Marinoff School is fictional, but based on the concept of schools for children with disabilities.
Connections
- Discover more about Alcatraz prison.
The Children of Alcatraz: Growing Up on the Rock
by Claire Rudolph Murphy
Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatrazby Susan Sloate
- Learn more about Al Capone.
Al Capone and His Gang (Famous Dead People)
by Alan MacDonald
Al Capone: And the Roaring Twenties (Notorious Americans and Their Times)by David C. King
- Investigate autism.
In My Mind: The World through the Eyes of Autism
by Adonya Wong
Explaining Autism (Explaining.)by Robert Snedden
Autism and Me: Sibling Storiesby Ouisie Shapiro
Awards/Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:Choldenko captures the tense, nuanced family dynamics touched off by the narrator's sister's disability as skillfully as she handles the mystique of Alcatraz.From School Library Journal:
Family dilemmas are at the center of the story, but history and setting-including plenty of references to the prison's most infamous inmate, mob boss Al Capone-play an important part, too. The Flanagan family is believable in the way each member deals with Natalie and her difficulties, and Moose makes a sympathetic main character. The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public LibraryFrom The Horn Book:
When his father gets a job as an electrician at Alcatraz, Moose's family moves to the famous prison island. Against this vividly evoked setting, Moose butts heads with the warden's scheming daughter and gets help from a surprising source for his older sister, who exhibits the symptoms of autism (the book is set in 1935, before the disease was identified). The solid novel concludes with a historical note.From Booklist:
With its unique setting and well-developed characters, this warm, engaging coming-of-age story has plenty of appeal, and Choldenko offers some fascinating historical background on Alcatraz Island in an afterword. --Ed Sullivan
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