Dear Ms. Choldenko,

At first, your book was just another summer reading book that I had to finish before school started. When I picked up Al Capone Does My Shirts I did not expect such a relatable book. I expected a boring summer read. Then I read the back of your book, your blurb was not only fascinating but it sounded very mysterious and interesting and was so engaging that I flipped to the front, the map of Alcatraz. The fact that Moose Flanagan was moving to an island with the world’s greatest criminals was very intriguing.I related to the personalities of the characters because although my sister is not ill, I do have a cousin who has autism like Natalie. He faces challenges every day like Natalie experiences with friends and family. He is luckier though for he is cared for and his condition is diagnosed. I could also relate to Piper because for me too, there is always someone who is two-sided and acts differently depending, on who the person is with.
Your book was also very well written and the characters were well developed. Your use of round and static characters really made the book come alive because, Moose as a round character changed throughout the book as incidents occurred like when he lost his baseball and Natalie. I could feel him maturing and growing as a person. I am a fast reader so your clear, understandable language made the book fly by in two days. I noticed you used a lot of figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia and smilies like when you said "One heel rattling like a drumstick against the side of the float." That increased the excellence of an already great novel. I am looking forward to reading your sequel Al Capone Shines My Shoes.
Sincerely,
A reader