What is the setting of Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko?

The novel is set in 1935 in both San Francisco and the island of Alcatraz, where the federal prison has only been in operation for a year. Moose, the main character, is a twelve-year-old boy whose family has recently moved to Alcatraz so that his father might work there as both an electrician and a prison guard. Moose finds the island scary at first because of the closeness of the prison and the dangerous prisoners housed there. However, as time passes, Moose comes to see the island as a small town that is just as safe as any other town, perhaps more so because of the caution taken by the prison staff.

The setting of this novel is fascinating because it is taken straight out of the history books. Alcatraz is a real island where there was a working federal prison for nearly thirty years. By using this setting as a part of the plot, the author offers the reader a snap shot of history through the eyes of a child the same age as the intended audience. Not only this, but by using Alcatraz as a setting, the author is also able to use several famous criminals of the time period, including Al Capone, to become characters of her novel.