Al Capone Shines My Shoes

By: Gennifer Choldenko

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

When I first moved here, I thought all the bad guys were on one side of the bars and all the good guys were on the other. But lately, I’ve begun to wonder . . .

Moose’s family moved to Alcatraz so his father could work as a guard and his sister could attend a special school in San Francisco. Living on an island with a few hundred no-name hit men, con men, and mad dog murderers (and a handful of bank robbers, too) has its challenges. Like Officer Darby–who seems to have it in for Moose; Jimmy–who feels jealous of Moose’s baseball friend Scout; Annie–who demands that Moose fess up to a secret that could get his family kicked off Alcatraz; and Piper, the warden’s cute, danger-loving daughter–who is as mad at Moose as often as she is sweet on him. By comparison, Willy One Arm and Buddy Boy, the cons who work at the warden’s house, and Seven Fingers, the ax murderer who helps his family out when their toilet is stopped up, don’t seem all that bad. But the line between good and bad is much clearer than Moose realizes. And if he doesn’t figure it out soon, he could be in a world of trouble.

Critic reviews

"Heart-stopping+heartrending+heartwarming." -San Francisco Chronicle

"Choldenko seamlessly blends laugh-out-loud humor with high drama in this fast-paced book." -Sacramento Bee

"A tender, engaging book that captures both the imagination and the heart." -San Jose Mercury News

More Character Building

I like how the story continues with the same characters just a few months after the first book ends.

A unique, interesting cast, plot and setting like no other book I've read before!

Set on Alcatraz in the depression year of 1935, the hero of the story solves mysteries, and lives and learns about Life on The Rock. He is a regular honest boy with a sister with autism, his dad is a guard, and his mom is trying hard to keep the family together. Capone is both a likable guy but always taken seriously as the most dangerous man in America. Great read!

I am so in love

This book I thought Had a lot of great surprise it and was very abnormal and it was a very awesome booked all learn and to hear about what life might have been like on Alcatraz even and though this is a fictional book

A very interesting and captivating story

The al Capone series are well written and interesting. The reader does a good job impersonating all the characters.

Great

Great follow up to the first book! Narrator was just as amazing as the first time as well.