Al Capone Does My Shirts
Choldenko, G. (2004). Al Capone does my shirts. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Moose moves to Alcatraz Island with his family in 1935 when Moose’s father gets a job as a guard. Moose’s sister, Natalie, is autistic and his mother is obsessed with finding a cure for her illness. Moose’s father is always working and his mother’s obsession has left Moose to watch over his sister and adjust to his new life on the island. He meets and becomes friends with several other children living on the island, including the warden’s daughter, Piper. Piper is always coming up with some scheme to make money, and with some pressure from her, Moose becomes involved in one of her schemes. Despite everything, Moose discovers who he is and how important family is. Author notes are included to help you distinguish between fact and fiction.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Type of Book: Chapter Book
Interest level: 5-8 Reading level: 4.0
Awards: Newbery Honor book, 2005
ALA Notable, 2005
The Graveyard Book
Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins Publishing.
One night Noboby’s entire family is brutally murdered, and he escapes the murderer by crawling into a nearby graveyard. The spirits that live in the graveyard hide him from the murderer, named Jack, when he comes to the graveyard looking for the young child. The spirits in the graveyard take care of and raise Nobody until one day he puts himself in danger when he leaves the graveyard. Jack becomes aware of his presence and sets out to finish the job he started many years before. With the help of the spirits Nobody is able to get rid of Jack and the other evil men who work for a secret organization that has been trying to kill him for many years. After Jack’s defeat, Nobody is able to leave the graveyard and pursue a normal life.
Genre: Fantasy
Type of Book: Chapter book
Interest level: 5-8 Reading level: 5.1
Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, 2009
Rules
Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic Press.
Catherine is twelve years old and longs for a friend who lives next door. However, Catherine has to worry about her brother David, who has autism, messing up her life again. Catherine tries very hard to help David be “normal” by writing rules for him in her notebook such as, “no toys in the fish tank”. During the summer, Catherine becomes friends with a boy named Jason who she meets in the waiting room of David’s occupational therapist. Catherine begins drawing communication cards for Jason and as the summer comes to an end she is forced to choose between her “normal” friends and the people that she truly cares about. Catherine learns that there is a lot more to being “normal” than just looking “normal”.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Type of Book: Chapter Book
Interest level: 3-6 Reading level: 3.9
Awards: Newbery Honor book, 2007
ALA Notable, 2007
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