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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I listened to this book as an audiobook with my kids. It was a bit too mature for my 10 year old. He said he didn't like it. This is not surprising because it had strong emotional themes, some uncomfortable issues, and not a lot of action or science fiction. I think it resonated with him in a lot of ways though and I don't regret having him listen to it. I do wish I had pre-read and waited until he was 12. The story is mainly about a 12 year old boy who has a sister with autism. She is verbal but it severely impacts her family, her own life, and her brother. I really enjoyed the historical backdrop of life as a civilian on Alcatraz. The themes and demonstration of empathy, emotion and coming of age were handled with insight and depth. You really have a soft spot for every character at the end of the book, even Al Capone. Capone is not a character in the book per se, but he dominates the thoughts of the characters.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was a great little surprise and I can see how a lot of teachers would use this book in the classroom. I can also see how so many kids find this to be a great series and anxiously await the next one to come out. I really enjoyed the little twist at the end and it made me excited to have the second one as a strip as well. I won't be buying any of these books, but I will be getting them from the library.
This is a really good book. I couldn't put it down and I read it in one night even though I had to be at work early the next morning.
A super cute book. Read it in a few hours and found myself smiling at the end.
The lengthy author's note at the end of the book cleared up a lot of things I had been questioning, so I'm giving this four stars. Moose was a great guy and though sometimes frustrating, I thought his level of manners and respect for all the adult characters was very accurate for the time period. His mother was quite a piece of work and I still feel angry that she didn't have more of a revelation about how badly she had been treating her son all his life! Grrr.
The ending also bothered me until the author's note explained that it was not uncommon for Al Capone to do charitable works...between murders. I guess it's a quirk of history, but I didn't love that the author seemed to make this horrible criminal the hero of the story...
The ending also bothered me until the author's note explained that it was not uncommon for Al Capone to do charitable works...between murders. I guess it's a quirk of history, but I didn't love that the author seemed to make this horrible criminal the hero of the story...
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good read for middle school kids. If autism has affected your life, there will be notes that ring true to you throughout the book and you will connect with the characters in many ways.