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.©2009 Gennifer Choldenko; (P)2009 Listening Library

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.

11 Year old loved It!

If you could sum up Al Capone Shines My Shoes in three words, what would they be?

The best book!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Moose because he was very adventurous.

What does Kirby Heyborne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings excitement to the book by doing a variety of voices in a way that I would picture them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, because it was 7 hours long and I was reading it for my home reading project. I had to read 20 minutes a day.

Any additional comments?

My 11 year old son who is reluctant to read loved this book AND loved using the Audible download. Having this service is wonderful for a kid who isn't really into reading or struggles with reading. Audible makes him look forward to his 20 minute a day reading project instead of dreading it. Thank you for helping this mom help her son. (My son wrote the reviewer comments about the book himself). ;)

Good sequel

What made the experience of listening to Al Capone Shines My Shoes the most enjoyable?

I bought it for my kids so they could read along. Audible books are great for kids learning how to read chapter books and also for adults who want to multi-task and listen and do other things at the same time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Moose Flanagan because he's responsible and smart. He cares about his sister Natalie very much.

What does Kirby Heyborne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I don't like reading aloud to my kids unless it's a short picture book because it makes my mouth tired. Having a good reader with inflections helps them follow along with the story better.

Another Good Book

I like how the author turns history into a very interesting story. Kirby Heyborne is a great narrator!

An awesome book!

Where does Al Capone Shines My Shoes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks over all the other books i have ever read!

What did you like best about this story?

I think the best part of the story was when the cons tried to escape

What about Kirby Heyborne’s performance did you like?

His voice is way better then the text-to-speech accessory on the kindle!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

not really.

Any additional comments?

This book was a very good book. If anyone reads this review, they should consider reading this book.

Read NOW

Sooo good, you should read it. It always kept me on the edge of my seat