Tales from Alcatraz
About Gennifer
Gennifer Choldenko is best known for her Tales from Alcatraz series, which has sold more than 2 million copies. Book #1: Al Capone Does My Shirts was a Newbery Honor Book and the recipient of twenty other awards. Book #4: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve is due out in 2018. BookPage said of her most recent novel, Chasing Secrets: “Choldenko’s ability to research obscure yet intriguing topics is uncanny, and as she did with the popular Al Capone trilogy she turns a tough topic into a high interest read … a compelling work of historical fiction.” Gennifer lives with her loyal husband and naughty dog in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Books
Chasing Secrets
- New York Times Bestseller, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Amazon Editor’s Pick
SYNOPSIS: Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them.
Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since his owners unwittingly left him with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town.
Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home.
And Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves.
When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.
“Super short chapters, perhaps suggesting a dog’s alleged limited attention span, keep the novel’s pace moving briskly toward a climax sure to please animal lovers despite a few sad moments along the way. … West’s grayscale art perfectly captures canine emotion and unbridled energy. … When Applegate and Choldenko collaborate, readers win.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Newbery Medalist Applegate and Newbery Honoree Choldenko team up for this uplifting escape novel.” —Publishers Weekly
“Eminently readable and appealing; will tug at dog-loving readers’ heartstrings.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A sweet spotlight on shelter animals that is as heartwarming as it is entertaining.” —Booklist
Al Capone Does My Shirts
- Newbery Honor Winner
BOOK 1 SYNOPSIS: When Moose’s family moves to Alcatraz so his father can work as a guard and his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, Moose has to leave his friends and his winning baseball team behind. But it’s worth it, right? If his sister, Natalie, can finally get help, maybe his family will finally be normal.
But as it turns out, life on Alcatraz is much more complicated than even Moose would have predicted.
His dad is so busy, he’s never around. His mom’s preoccupation with Natalie’s condition (today it would be called autism) is even worse now that there’s no extended family to help with her tantrums and constant needs. And of course, there’s never enough money.
When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she’s trouble. But she’s also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parent’s expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
“Basing her story on the actual experience of those who supported the prison in the ’30s-when Al Capone was an inmate-Choldenko’s pacing is exquisite, balancing the tense family dynamics alongside the often-humorous and riveting school story of peer pressure and friendship. Fascinating setting as a metaphor for Moose’s own imprisonment and enabling some hysterically funny scenes, but a great read no matter where it takes place.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Set on Alcatraz Island in 1935, Choldenko’s exceptionally atmospheric novel has equally unusual characters and plot lines … Choldenko captures the tense, nuanced family dynamics touched off by Natalie’s disability as skillfully as she handles the mystique of Alcatraz and the exchanges between Moose and his friends. Fast-paced and memorable.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Al Capone Shines My Shoes
BOOK 2 SYNOPSIS: When Moose’s family moves to Alcatraz so his father can work as a guard and his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, Moose has to leave his friends and his winning baseball team behind. But it’s worth it, right? If his sister, Natalie, can finally get help, maybe his family will finally be normal.
But as it turns out, life on Alcatraz is much more complicated than even Moose would have predicted.
His dad is so busy, he’s never around. His mom’s preoccupation with Natalie’s condition (today it would be called autism) is even worse now that there’s no extended family to help with her tantrums and constant needs. And of course, there’s never enough money.
When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she’s trouble. But she’s also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parent’s expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
“Choldenko hits a grand slam … effortless … perfectly paced … solid-gold sequel.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Superlative historical fiction” —School Library Journal, starred review
Al Capone Does My Homework
BOOK 3 SYNOPSIS: Alcatraz Island in the 1930s isn’t the most normal place to grow up, but it’s home for Moose Flanagan, his autistic sister, Natalie, and all the families of the guards. When Moose’s dad gets promoted to Associate Warden, despite being an unlikely candidate, it’s a big deal. But the cons have a point system for targeting prison employees, and his dad is now in serious danger. After a fire starts in the Flanagan’s apartment, Natalie is blamed, and Moose bands with the other kids to track down the possible arsonist. Then Moose gets a cryptic note from the notorious Al Capone himself. Is Capone trying to protect Moose’s dad too? If Moose can’t figure out what Capone’s note means, it may be too late.
“Choldenko continues to infuse the Alcatraz community with warmth and originality. … Despite being ‘the roughest hard-time prison in America,’ by the end of this winning series, it’s also a place Moose comes to proudly call home.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred review
“Especially noteworthy is the author’s sensitive ability to humanize heroes and villains alike, grounding the tense action in palpable reality. With rich characterization, tender drama, and sleuth-worthy clues, this poignant mystery makes for a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the landmark historical trilogy.” —Booklist, starred review
“Choldenko continues to infuse the Alcatraz community with warmth and originality” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Al Capone Throws Me a Curve
BOOK 4 SYNOPSIS: Moose Flanagan lives on a famous island in California: Alcatraz, home to some of the most dangerous prisoners in the United States in the 1930s. It’s the summer before he starts high school, and Moose is going to play a lot of baseball and win a spot on the high school team. But he still needs to watch his special older sister, Natalie—and then the warden asks Moose to look after his two-faced, danger-loving daughter, Piper.
In the cell house there are rumors that the cons will a strike, and that Moose’s father might step up to a new job. Moose is worried: What will this mean for their family, especially for Natalie, who’s had some scary run-ins with prisoners? Then the unthinkable happens: Natalie winds up someplace she should never, ever go. And Moose has to rescue her.
“This worthy ‘second ending’ finishes on a hopeful note that series fans will embrace.”—Booklist, starred review
“It’s earnest Moose, always striving to do the right thing, who elevates this tale, like a hard-hit baseball, into the stratosphere.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Truth finally sets Moose free in this lovingly layered novel – part action movie and part comedy with a full measure of heart and hope.” —San Francisco Chronicle
Chasing Secrets
SYNOPSIS: San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people … but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.
The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.
“The plot is enriched by winning characters, meaningful friendships, a taut atmosphere, and secrets multiplying as fast as the story’s rats.” —Booklist, starred review
“Choldenko masterfully builds the suspense of Lizzie’s attempts to rescue Jing, and the story intensifies when Lizzie discovers Jing’s charming 12-year-old son, Noah, hiding in their own house. In wonderfully frank closed-door conversations, Noah opens Lizzie’s eyes to racial injustice … and a side of her longtime friend Jing she never even considered. Not only will this novel hold a proud spot on the deadly disease shelf with Jim Murphy’s An American Plague and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793, it’s a vivid picture of 20th-century San Francisco and a stirring story of a lonely, funny girl trying to be her “best true self.” —Karin Snelson, children’s editor, Shelf Awareness, starred review)
No Passengers Beyond this Point
SYNOPSIS: Three siblings—India, Finn, and Mouse—have less than forty-eight hours to pack up all their belongings and fly, without Mom, to their uncle Red’s in Colorado, after they lose their house to foreclosure. But when they land, a mysterious driver meets them at the airport, and he’s never heard of Uncle Red. Like Dorothy in Oz, they find themselves in a place they’ve never heard of, with no idea of how to get home, and time is running out. In a total departure, Choldenko tells a story of adventure and survival, set in a fantastical place with rules all its own. Sharp dialogue and taut action make this a book that will stick with you long after you read the incredible ending.
“A wonderfully imagined adventure story … reminiscent of such classics as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” —BookPage.com
“A fun ride, full of adventure, suspense, and good characterization.” —School Library Journal
“Simultaneously heartwarming and spirited, No Passengers Beyond This Point takes readers on an unexpected journey about the importance of family, no matter what happens.” —Los Angeles Times
Dad and the Dinosaur
SYNOPSIS: A heartwarming father-son story about bravery and facing fears.
Nicholas was afraid of the dark outside his door, the bushes where the giant bugs live, and the underside of manhole covers.
His dad was not afraid of anything.
Nicholas wants to be as brave as his dad, but he needs help. That’s why he needs a dinosaur. After all, dinosaurs like the dark, bugs are nothing to them, and they eat manhole covers for lunch (and everything under them for dinner).
With his toy dinosaur, Nicholas can scale tall walls, swim in deep water, even score a goal against the huge goalie everyone calls Gorilla. But when the dinosaur goes missing, everything is scary again.
Luckily, his dad knows that even the bravest people can get scared, and it’s okay to ask for help facing your fears. It’s just guy stuff.
“Choldenko’s poignant fantasy envisions a father who, like a certain tyrannosaur, looms large in his son’s mind. Her knowing, understated storytelling and Santat’s warm, expressive spreads give full credence to the fears that weigh on kids, as well as the presences—both real and imagined—that can help alleviate them.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A winning book sure to attract and delight a wide audience.” —School Library Journal