Reviews

Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko

protoman21's review against another edition

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3.0

The third book in the series, and sadly each has gotten worse than the last. From five stars to four star and now to three stars. I'm not sure exactly what the difference is, but I just wasn't very engaged with this book. I still like Moose and his family and all of the other characters, but I think Choldenko just forced this one. The idea was strong with the investigation of what caused the fire, but all of the pieces just didn't line up correctly and I couldn't summon the interest that I had before. I hope the series ends here or takes a surprising swing back up after this.

cami19's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

gmamartha's review against another edition

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3.0

Another in this series with interesting setting that shows the dangers of underestimating people.

sallyavena's review against another edition

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4.0

More serious, less lighthearted than I was expecting. Here's another review of it that I did: http://www.compassbookratings.com/reviews/index.php/review/view/1996

mlejmeyer's review against another edition

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5.0

I was giddy to be able to return to Alcatraz and the beloved characters of Moose and his family, Annie, Piper, and of course...Al.

ayshaheather's review against another edition

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5.0

Review by Kaz age 11-
It was good because it was a mystery of why their apartment burned down. I liked the plot and the dialogue. This particular book was different from the rest of the series as it was a mystery.

kbernie's review against another edition

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5.0

I have really enjoyed the Al Capone series so far. It’s a great historical fiction book and the author really does her homework (pun intended) about that era and the specific cons of Alcatraz at that time. I also like how she focuses on Moose’s relationship with his sister and the struggle of being “in charge” of Natalie.

librariandest's review against another edition

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3.0

The third (and probably final) book about Moose Flanagan is solid middle grade historical fiction. Moose and his Alcatraz community of guards, families, and convicts are still compelling--when you share an island with America's most famous criminals, there's bound to be some drama! In this book, we see Moose's dad has been promoted to Associate Warden. There's a mysterious fire. Moose tries to be everything to everyone (a character trait that was less and less endearing to me as the book progressed), including his friends Annie and Piper (the other two points of a mild tween love triangle) and his big sister Natalie (who most likely has undiagnosed autism), and of course his dad who is now a target because he's a warden. The bad guys, Mr. and Mrs. Trixle, were one-dimensional, that dimensional being terrible. I had more sympathy for the cons.

I enjoyed this book and would gladly recommend this series to pretty much any middle grade reader. I was expecting a bit more of a wow factor that I didn't get, but I'm not complaining. I hope Ms. Choldenko has lots more books left to write. She's good at it.

greenvillemelissa's review against another edition

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5.0

Book #76 Read in 2013
Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko (YA)

This is the third book of this series. Moose lives on Alcatraz Island, where his father is a prison guard. In this book, Moose's father is promoted to Assistant Warden and that brings some danger as the cons would like to hurt a prison boss. As if that is not enough stress, the family's apartment catches on fire and neighbors are blaming Natalie, Moose's special need sister, for it. Can Moose figure out who really set the fire?

I have enjoyed all three books in this series. The books are well-written and the characters are interesting and well-developed. The books have elements of mystery, humor, history and romance. I recommend this series.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

tinahaynie's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0