Al Capone Does My Shirts
Bibliographic
Information
Choldenko, Gennifer. Al
Capone Does My Shirts. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004
Plot Description
It’s January in 1935 and Matthew
Flanagan, or Moose as everyone calls him, is moving to Alcatraz Island. His dad
got a job as a guard/electrician on Alcatraz so that his autistic sister
Natalie can go to the Esther P. Marinoff Boarding School. His mother is
obsessed with caring for Natalie and it is obvious Moose comes second. His
father is a caring person that tries to be the best father he can be to both of
his children. It is a difficult move for Moose, he doesn't really want to move
and he missed his best friend. There are other kids on the island, most notably
Piper, the warden’s daughter. She is trouble and Moose knows it, yet he can’t
seem to stay away from her even after she gets him in trouble. When Natalie
doesn't get into Esther P. Marinoff, Moose is forced to give up playing
baseball (the only thing he loves doing) and care for Natalie; while his mother
works to pay for Natalie’s “lessons” with Mrs. Kelly. Mrs Flanagan is hoping
that Mrs. Kelly will help Natalie with her second try at getting into Esther P.
Marinoff. Help for Moose and Natalie comes late in the game and from a very
unlikely person.
Quantitative Reading
Level
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 75.1
ATOS Level: 7.1
Qualitative Reading
Level
Meaning: Middle Low. Text contains a single level/layer of
complex meaning.
Structure: Middle Low. The narrative structure is mostly
simple and is more explicit than implicit and is largely conventional. Narration
does not shift in point of view. The order of events has occasional use of
flashbacks and no major shifts in time.
Language: Middle Low: Text contains subtle use of figurative
language or irony. The language is largely contemporary, familiar,
conversational language that is explicit. The text is rarely unfamiliar,
archaic, domain-specific or overly academic.
Knowledge Demands: Middle Low. Text explores a single
complex theme, experiences portrayed can be easily understood by the common
reader. Some cultural/literacy knowledge is required.
Content Area
English, Social Studies: American History
Subject Area Tag
English, History, Weekly Requirement
New York State
Content Area Standard (Grades 6-12)
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly
and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when
writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze
their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop
and interact over the course of a text.
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and
analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific
sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section,
chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content
and style of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse
formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics
in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational
texts independently and proficiently.
11. Respond to literature by employing knowledge of literary
language, textual features, and forms to read and comprehend, reflect upon, and
interpret literary texts from a variety of genres and a wide spectrum of
American and world cultures.
Common Core Reading
Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies (Grade 5-8)
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of
primary and secondary sources.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary
or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from
prior knowledge or opinions.
3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process
related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes a law, how interest
rates are raised or lowered).
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g.,
sequentially, comparatively, causally).
6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point
of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular
facts).
7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs,
photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital
texts.
8. Distinguish between fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment
in a text.
9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary
source on the same topic.
10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend
history/social studies texts in the grades 5-8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Curriculum
Suggestions
- Have students learn about Alcatraz and the some of the famous inmates.
- Have the students focus on Natalie and learn about Autism
Links to Supporting
Digital Content
Author website:
Book website:
Free eBook and mp3:
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