Booklist (September 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 1))
Grades 5-8. In the Newbery Honor-winning Al Capone Does My Shirts (2004), 12-year-old Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz in 1935, appeals to inmate 85 to get his autistic sister, Natalie, into a special school. In this follow-up, it’s payback time. “Scarface,” whom Moose finally meets, is much more present here, and it turns out that Natalie’s benefactor (the famous gangster) wasn’t just being a nice guy when he offered his help. He expected favors in return, and now, Natalie is an unsuspecting, potential accomplice in a dramatic prisoner escape attempt. One of Choldenko’s many strengths is her grasp of the historically accurate language and setting, and she discusses where she exercised her artistic license in an author’s note. As life on the Rock goes on, Moose gradually realizes that family and friends are more important than baseball and that grudges rarely come to a good end. An enjoyable, stand-alone sequel.
Grades 5-8. In the Newbery Honor-winning Al Capone Does My Shirts (2004), 12-year-old Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz in 1935, appeals to inmate 85 to get his autistic sister, Natalie, into a special school. In this follow-up, it’s payback time. “Scarface,” whom Moose finally meets, is much more present here, and it turns out that Natalie’s benefactor (the famous gangster) wasn’t just being a nice guy when he offered his help. He expected favors in return, and now, Natalie is an unsuspecting, potential accomplice in a dramatic prisoner escape attempt. One of Choldenko’s many strengths is her grasp of the historically accurate language and setting, and she discusses where she exercised her artistic license in an author’s note. As life on the Rock goes on, Moose gradually realizes that family and friends are more important than baseball and that grudges rarely come to a good end. An enjoyable, stand-alone sequel.
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