Al Capone Does My Homework

“Today is my dad’s first official day as associate warden on Alcatraz Island, home to anyone who is anyone in the criminal world.”

The first line of Choldenko’s novel establishes the setting and central problem of the story. The narrator’s father, a gentle, compassionate man, has just been promoted to second-in-command at Alcatraz, which houses some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. The narrator knows that the convicts will try to “test” him to discover his weaknesses.

“My dad says Natalie views the world through her own personal kaleidoscope and it’s our job to see from her perspective.”

The narrator’s 16-year-old sister, Natalie, has a developmental disability that makes it difficult for her to relate to others since she focuses on different aspects of the world than most people do; for instance, she is fascinated with objects like buttons and light switches and with numbers, rather than with the niceties of social interaction. Her father aptly describes her distinct way of looking at the world as a “personal kaleidoscope,” framing her neurodivergent perspective as unique and complex.

“He’s in a tight spot is all. He’s got the cons on one side testing him. And Darby on the other hankering for his job.”

Donny Caconi explains that Moose’s father, in his new job of associate warden, is caught in an isolated—and perhaps dangerous—position since the convicts will be putting pressure on him, and the head guard Darby Trixle does not necessarily have his back. As later events suggest, Donny knows more about Darby’s resentment than he reveals here.