What are you reading this summer?

Please let me know whatever you are reading this summer.

Summer Reading

I just finished reading "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Genifer Chedenko. I loved the book and will use it in our 4th grade class this year when we are learning about America On the Move. This story is about children who lived on Alcatraz in the early years of the 20th century. Alcatraz is an island prison that contained the most desperate and horrific criminals of the time. The main characters included a boy and an autistic sister whose lives were actually enhanced by living on this island. Its humor allows intermediate children to enjoy the suspense of possible danger living in close proximity of these criminals. The children's perspectives of the criminals as "stars" leads the reader to believe the same. I became interested in the book after listening to the author speak at a conference about how she researched the information to write the novel. She based it on many true facts about the prison and the island and on the facts she found about the children's lives who had actually lived there in the 1930's when Al Capone was there. She also wrote the book based upon her own family, a brother who had connected with their own autistic sister. The novel is all about human relationships and how unexpected people in your life can make your life better. I loved reading about Alcatraz. I had visited the island in the 1980's after it had been closed on a very special trip to San Francisco. I hope you might give this book a try and let me know what you thought about the characters.