Books and Summarys Flashcards
Al Capone does my shirts
In this novel, Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatraz Island, where Moose’s father has gotten a job as both electrician and prison guard for the federal prison situated on the island. Moose misses his friends back home and resents his mother for uprooting the family for another of her schemes to help his sister Natalie be normal. Almost immediately, Moose finds himself in trouble when the daughter of the warden, Piper, draws him into a scheme to make money off of the name of the most famous prisoner at Alcatraz, Al Capone. However, Moose soon learns he does not need Piper to find trouble. Al Capone Does My Shirts is a humorous novel that can also bring a tear to the reader’s eye as Moose learns that family is worth fighting for.
Moose Flanagan is unhappy with the move to Alcatraz because he misses his friends and grandmother back in Santa Monica. To make matters worse, Moose’s father is working so much that he does not have time to toss the ball with Moose. However, his father does have time to take Natalie for a walk to give his mother a break. It is all because of Natalie they are there in the first place, so she can attend the Esther P. Marinoff School in San Francisco.
Theresa Mattaman comes by the apartment their first morning there and takes Moose and Natalie on a short tour of the island. They run into Piper, the warden’s daughter, who immediately asks uncomfortable questions about Natalie. Moose does not like it when people assume Natalie is stupid simply because she is different. Piper’s questions just make Moose dislike her.
The next morning, Moose and his family take Natalie to her new school. Natalie is aware something is happening and nearly refuses to get off the boat, but Moose manages to convince her to go. Back on Alcatraz, Moose thinks about all the other attempts his mother has made to fix Natalie, including a study at UCLA that ended with the doctors telling his mother there was nothing they could do for Natalie. Moose thinks it was then when his mother insisted that Natalie was only ten, each and every birthday since.
The first day of school in San Francisco is exciting for Moose, who discovers a group of boys who organize a baseball game every Monday. Moose is riding high as he makes his way home, but his bubble burst when he receives a phone call from the Esther P. Marinoff School asking his parents to come pick up Natalie immediately. Moose goes with his mother to the school where they are told that Natalie is simply not ready for their program. The dean of the school gives Moose’s mother the name of a woman he claims will help, another dead end road as far as Moose is concerned.
Piper comes up with a scheme to have kids at school pay to have their clothing washed in the prison laundry for a nickel each. Piper wants Moose’s help, but he repeatedly refuses, afraid of compromising his father’s job after the warnings the warden gave him. Piper persists, however, eventually getting caught and causing not only Moose, but Annie, Jimmy, and Theresa to get in trouble as well.
As part of Natalie’s new therapy, Moose is required to keep her with him during the afternoons, even when he goes out to play ball. Moose decides to search for a ball hit over the wall by the prisoners to give to his new school friend, Scout. Moose leaves Natalie to count rocks or buttons as he searches. One day, Moose discovers that a prisoner working as a gardener in the area has befriended his sister. Moose becomes frightened that this criminal has done something unspeakable to his sister and refuses to take Natalie out of the apartment again. However, Natalie is able to communicate to her her desire to see her friend again. This time, Moose allows it as long as he can see what is happening.
It has become clear to Moose that Natalie has made progress with her new therapist. Moose can also see how important it is to his mother that Natalie gets into the school. When Natalie is turned down once again, Moose goes to the warden to ask for help. When the warden refuses, Moose sneaks a letter into the prison to Al Capone. A short time later, Moose learns that the Esther P. Marinoff School has created a new program for older children and Natalie is to be their first student.
Firegirl
Seventh grade loner Tom Bender’s life is changed by his friendship with Jessica, a severely disfigured burn survivor in Tony Abbott’s moving contemporary middle grade novel, Firegirl (2006). Shy and empathetic, Tom gradually overcomes his fear of Jessica and gets to know his new classmate, causing a rift between Tom and his friend, Jeff. While Jeff spreads malicious talk about Jessica, Tom sees past Jessica’s exterior to the person inside. Abbott sensitively explores themes of friendship, self-discovery, finding one’s voice, and the importance of accepting and including difference. Firegirl received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and The Bulletin and won the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award in 2007 for excellence in children’s literature. A companion novel, The Great Jeff (2019), continues the story of Jeff’s troubled home life and his broken friendship with Tom.
Pagination in this study guide refers to the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers edition (2007).
Plot Summary
First-person narrator Tom enjoys the daily school routine as he starts seventh grade at St. Catherine’s Catholic school. Tom rarely speaks in class, and most people—adults and other kids—overlook him. Tom is highly compassionate and has trouble articulating his feelings and thoughts. Stressful conversations make Tom feel physically ill.
Tom has one friend, Jeff Hicks, whom he has known for about three years. The two of them hang out at Jeff’s house after school, though they do not talk about much. Jeff’s parents are divorced, and Jeff lives with his mom, who works long hours as a nurse. Jeff holds a lot of anger towards his parents. Tom’s own home life is stable and supportive, though Tom’s mom wishes he were more social. Jeff’s uncle owns a red 1960s Shelby Cobra, the “fat” kind of racing car that Tom has always admired, and Jeff promises Tom that he will give him a ride.
In school, Tom daydreams about smart, pretty Courtney Zisky. Courtney features in Tom’s fantasies in which he heroically rescues her from myriad dangers using his unique, but eccentrically small superpowers. In real life, Tom knows Courtney is out of his league because he is fat and unpopular.
Their teacher, Mrs. Tracy, announces an election for class president. Tom intends to nominate Courtney to get her and others to notice him. Mrs. Tracy also apprehensively announces the arrival of a new student: Jessica Feeney, who is badly burned and is receiving treatment in a nearby hospital. Jessica’s burns are so severe that Tom cannot even imagine how she survived. Jeff is repulsed by Jessica, but his callousness upsets Tom. After school, Jeff sets one of his radio-controlled cars on fire, noting that the melting plastic looks like Jessica. He likens her to the comic book figure, The Human Torch. Tom is appalled.
Tom fears Jessica, who now sits across the aisle from him in class, and he tries to avoid looking at her. He thinks about her constantly. He researches the types of treatment she is getting and imagines how painful it must be. Jessica is quiet in class, and no one talks to her. Gradually, Tom looks at Jessica and realizes there is a person inside.
Jeff, in contrast, reviles Jessica. He says she is “gross,” refuses to take her hand during the daily prayer, and spreads rumors that she is to blame for the fire that injured her. When Jessica accidentally drops a photograph, the class sees a picture of a pretty blonde girl whom Jessica claims is her sister. Tom is thankful that now people have something normal to talk with Jessica about until Jessica reveals that her sister died. Rumors fly that Jessica killed her sister and is a fugitive from the police. Tom is disgusted by this talk. Instead of going to Jeff’s house after school, he brings Jessica her homework.
Jessica talks about her treatments, her mom, and the class election. Tom surprises himself by sharing his thoughts about superhero powers with her. Mr. Feeney explains that Jessica does not have a sister—she is the pretty girl in the photo. Tom cries when he learns that Jessica was trapped in their burning car in an accident. She will never look the same again. Tom is distraught, and the knowledge makes him feel different.
Tom turns down Jessica’s offer to join her and her father for lunch because Jeff’s uncle is supposed take Tom for a ride in the Cobra. Tom feels guilty but reasons that he has earned a ride. Tom waits all day, but Jeff and his uncle do not arrive. Tom angrily realizes Jeff lies a lot and does not care about other people. Jeff is angry at Tom’s interest in Jessica.
On class election day, Jeff hurts Tom by nominating Courtney before Tom does. Jessica nominates Tom. Tom decides to nominate Jessica to help her integrate into class, but he is so quiet he isn’t certain he even speaks. After school, Tom visits Jessica, intending to apologize for failing to support her. On the way, Jeff and his uncle pull up in the Cobra and invite him for a ride. Tom refuses, infuriating Jeff who curses “Freaking firegirl!” Jessica announces she and her family are returning to Boston. Tom is devastated. He apologizes for fearing her and not talking to her enough. Jessica did hear Tom say her name during the election, and finds that meaningful, though she jokes he should speak up more. Tom laughs and cries. The two hug and say goodbye.
Courtney tells Tom he was nice to Jessica, and Tom tearfully responds that he wishes he had done more. Tom feels changed. He is no longer close friends with Jeff and does not fantasize about Courtney as frequently. Tom thinks about Jessica often, and knows if they meet again, they will both talk a lot, and he will thank her.
Dead end in Norvelt
Jack lives with his Mom and Dad in Norvelt, a small town big on quirky neighbors. It’s the summer of 1962, and Jack’s vacation is ruined when his Mom grounds him for the entire summer. Okay, it’s not entirely out of the blue. Jack’s been in trouble. First, he accidentally fires his Dad’s Japanese sniper rifle at the town’s drive-in movie theater screen—um, oops. Double oops, because he didn’t know that it was loaded. And then, he gets caught up in the middle of a war between his parents, and mows down his Mom’s cornfield. Oops again. (Triple oops?)
The only time he gets to leave the house is when Miss Volker, the town’s elderly woman medical examiner, requests help. She has crippling arthritis, and needs someone to write down the obituaries she dictates. Lucky for Jack, Miss Volker is a former nurse, and does impromptu surgery on his nose to fix it. You see, Jack has a little problem: anytime he’s stressed out or scared, his nose spouts blood all over the place. Gross.
Soon, Jack finds himself right in the middle of a mystery. Not only does he need to find out who loaded his Dad’s rifle, but now he also needs to figure out who is killing off the town’s elderly residents. Is it the Hells Angel curse? Or is it just natural causes after all?
As the body count rises, Jack has a lot on his plate. He has to (1) get to the bottom of the sinister events; (2) stay out of trouble; (3) keep his friendship going with Bunny Huffer, a spunky tomboy whose Dad is the owner of the town’s funeral parlor. Jack identifies several people who could possibly be responsible for the deaths: Miss Volker, Mr. Spizz, and Mr. Huffer have all recently purchased poison, and Jack’s own mom has been cooking food for all of the dead women (who, not surprisingly, each have the half-eaten casseroles in their homes when they are found).
In the end, both mysteries are finally solved, and Jack’s nosebleeds go away. It turns out that his Uncle Will is a deer poacher, and it was he who loaded the gun. Also, Mr. Spizz confesses to poisoning the old ladies in an effort to fulfill a promise Miss Volker made to him in their youth: that she would marry him after all of the original Norvelters have passed on. Yikes! And Jack? Well, Jack’s just a little more grown up.
Fish in a tree
middle-grade novel by American author Lynda Mullaly Hunt. It follows the story of a middle-school girl named Ally, who is artistically and mathematically talented but unable to read due to her dyslexia. Throughout Ally’s school career, she uses humor, misbehavior, and feigned sickness to distract from her learning difficulty, doing everything in her power to avoid writing and reading tasks. Ally’s struggles are magnified by the fact that she has transferred schools many times over the past few years, as her family moves around for her father’s work in the military. Though Ally’s mother is supportive, she often works long hours as a waitress and does not have the time to look over Ally’s schoolwork. Ally’s older brother, Travis, is also loving and protective, though his own learning difficulties prevent him from helping his sister.
Ally’s new teacher—a kind, attentive man named Mr. Daniels—sees beneath the surface of her distractions. Sensing Ally’s intelligence and creativity, Mr. Daniels adapts his teaching to her dyslexia, helping her realize her unique abilities. Empowered by Mr. Daniels’ belief in her, Ally finds a new confidence and forms connections with her classmates, including an outspoken aspiring baker named Keisha and a scientifically gifted but socially struggling boy named Albert.
Albert often comes to school with bruises. As he and Ally become closer, Ally learns these bruises are caused by other kids who bully him. Albert refuses to fight back because he does not believe in violence. A mean rich girl named Shay and her friend Jessica often pick on the trio of friends, but when Ally sees how Keisha and Albert ignore them, she becomes more confident in her ability to do the same.
Ally’s reading skills slowly improve as a result of after-school meetings with Mr. Daniels, where he works with her using strategies catered to her visual learning style (such as playing chess and writing words in shaving cream). Ally’s confidence continues to bloom when she is nominated for class president and defeats Shay in the race. Though Ally’s win triggers more teasing from Shay, she is able to gracefully ignore this teasing and realize it is the product of Shay’s own insecurities. Ally isn’t bothered until the more aggressive bullies that have been picking on Albert target her and Keisha. As a result, Albert is forced to defend himself and his friends, affirming the importance of standing up for yourself and the value of friendship.
Ally continues working on extra projects, and Mr. Daniels honors her dedication by awarding her Student of the Month. He challenges the class to see the world in new ways, presenting a long list of famous individuals—including Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, and Albert Einstein—who struggled with dyslexia. With his cooperative assignments and his elevation of every student’s differences, Mr. Daniels inspires the class to appreciate one another as unique individuals.
One day, when Travis comes to pick Ally up after school, she tells him about all the ways Mr. Daniels has helped her. Eager to overcome his own reading difficulties, Travis agrees to meet with him, demonstrating that it’s never too late to make the impossible possible.
Song for a whale
( Read the Plot summary part)
https://www.supersummary.com/song-for-a-whale/summary/
The Tail of Emily Winsnap
(Just the first part is enough to understand most of the book)
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-tail-of-emily-windsnap/#gsc.tab=0
Hattie Big Sky
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-hattie-big-sky/#gsc.tab=0
The Call of the Wild
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/call/summary/
touching Spirit Bear
( this one is actually a really good summary of the book)
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/touching-spirit-bear/summary
