A visit to Alcatraz

Welcome back everyone! I apparently took January and most of February off from blogging, but I'm back.

In January, I had the great opportunity to visit San Francisco and Alcatraz island, infamous prison home to many well-known criminals including Machine Gun Kelly and Al Capone.

Before leaving for our trip, I asked my daughter (age 11) what she wanted to do most. She answered, "Visit Alcatraz." So we did. And it was so worth it! We took the Self-Guided Audio Tour, which was fascinating. The tour is completely narrated by former prison guards and inmates! The audio tour directs you around the prison with stories of daily life, infamous inmates, and escape attempts. You really get a sense of what it was like.

Upon arriving home, the first thing my daughter did was read AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko. The she quickly followed it up with the sequel AL CAPONE SHINES MY SHOES by Gennifer Choldenko. Now, AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS is on my bedside table with a directive from my daughter to read it ASAP! So now I am.

Choldenko, who lives in the Bay Area, was a volunteer on Alcatraz. She really did her research before writing her two books. Both Al CAPONE books incorporate history of the people and the place. AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS is set in 1935 and told by fictional character "Moose" Flanagan who is one of the children living on the island. Yes, there were children on Alcatraz! Many prison workers lived with their families on the island. What a way to grow up!

I have always loved historical fiction. And Choldenko has done a superb job of keeping the story funny and fresh while infusing it with history. And the Newbery folks agreed because AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS received a Newbery Honor Award.

So, now I've got to get reading. My daughter keeps asking me how far I am. Don't you love that kind of enthusiasm? I had better live up to it and finish reading quickly. Then we can really talk about it.