Al Capone Does My Shirts By Gennifer Choldenko: Summary

I decided to read the book Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, because I have many friends who have read it and really enjoyed it. It is an historical fiction novel, written in 2004 for young adults, and it is a Newberry Honor Book. A major theme of the book is the impact of disability on family, because the main character’s sister has autism. Moose Flanagan has to learn to deal with moving because of his sister Natalie’s disability, as well as often feeling second to his parents.
The purpose of the book is to educate young readers about disability and to help them learn about autism in a relatable way. At the start of the book, we see the main character, Moose, struggle with his sister’s disability and the lack of attention from his mother. By the end of the novel, however, he truly cares for his sister’s wellbeing and begins to understand her on a deeper level. Choldenko wants the reader to realize that autism does not make Natalie any different from Moose, but she just has different ways of …show more content…
Piper is a young adult like Moose, and she does not fully understand what to say when it comes to Natalie. She does not understand autism and she bluntly asks Moose if Natalie is retarded, which bothers Moose greatly. He does not want Natalie to be judged or perceived of as stupid because of her disability. Also Moose’s mother did not want Natalie to receive prejudice from others, and continued to lie about her age. One of Mrs. Flanagan’s friends says, “There is a real bias against older children,” in reference to older children with disabilities. Mrs. Flanagan does not want Natalie to receive any bias for being sixteen, so she continues to lie about her age and keeps making attempts to get her into the school for younger children. The author shows the heartbreak the family of a person with disabilities feels when imagining that person receiving prejudice for their