Set on Alcatraz Island in the 1930s, this middle-grade historical fiction series follows the young son of a prison guard who lives with his family on the island — just feet away from some of America's most notorious criminals, including the real-life gangster who gives the series its name. The books balance the humor and social challenges of middle school life with the genuinely unusual circumstances of growing up inside a federal penitentiary.
In 1935, twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan moves to Alcatraz Island when his father takes a job as a guard and his family hopes the island's proximity to San Francisco will allow his older sister Natalie—who has severe developmental differences—to attend a special school. A warm, funny, and moving historical novel about family, difference, and what it means to be a good sibling. A Newbery Honor book.
Moose discovers that Al Capone may have done him a favor—and now someone seems to be calling it in—while Natalie begins school and Moose navigates the complicated social world of island life. A warm sequel that deepens the characters and raises the stakes of living in such a unique community while exploring the meaning of favors, obligations, and loyalty.
Moose's father is promoted to associate warden and the family immediately becomes the target of suspicion when a suspicious fire breaks out, with Moose determined to prove his father's innocence while Natalie thrives in her new environment. The concluding volume of the trilogy resolves its mysteries with warmth and humor while honoring the growth of all three books.