Books about a specific place are magnets for readers as they travel to a location they dream about or one that fascinates them for researchable reasons. (In elementary school, I read every book I could find about Hawaii.) One of the places that has mythological status in American culture, all the while being a real place, is Alcatraz Island. In California, in San Francisco Bay, it has served a number of purposes over the centuries. Here are some of the books, both fiction and nonfiction, about this island that captivates our imaginations.
Al Capone Does My Shirts
written by Gennifer Choldenko
Penguin Young Readers, 2006
Newbery Honor
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.
There are three sequels as well as these invaluable interviews with people who lived on Alcatraz.
Book Scavenger: The Alcatraz Escape
written by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Square Fish, 2019
Emily and James are ready to tackle a new mystery in Book 3 of the Book Scavenger series. Legendary, literary game-maker Garrison Griswold is back in action — this time with “Unlock the Rock.” For his latest game, Griswold has partnered with the famous — and famously reclusive — mystery writer Errol Roy to plan an epic escape room challenge on Alcatraz Island. Threatening notes, missing items, and an accident that might not have been an accident have the duo worried that someone is trying to get them out of the game at any cost.
Breakout! Escape from Alcatraz
written by Lori Haskins
illustrated by Janet Hamlin
Random House, 1996
a Step into Reading book
Alcatraz, San Francisco’s number one tourist attraction, played a pivotal role in American history from the 1930s through the 1960s housing some of the nation’s most notorious criminals. Teachers can use this true account to trigger discussion on such topics as the Great Depression, the FBI, Native American history, and our criminal justice system. Escape-story fans, true-crime aficionados, and history buffs will want to make a quick getaway to read all about the legendary landmark they call “The Rock.”
Children of Alcatraz: Growing Up on the Rock
written by Claire Rudolf Murphy
Walker Books, 2006
Imagine playing hide-and-seek in the prison morgue, having a convict as your babysitter, or having Al Capone as your neighbor. This compelling photo-essay profiles generations of children who had the unique opportunity of growing up on this isolated island in San Francisco’s shadow. With personal anecdotes, revealing interviews with the surviving Alcatraz Kids, historical documents, and archival and family photographs, Children of Alcatraz reveals a one-of-a-kind childhood sure to fascinate readers young and old.
Daring Escape from Alcatraz
History’s Mysteries
written by Matt Chandler
Capstone Press, 2022
Located on an island in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was once considered one of the country’s most secure prisons. But that didn’t stop three prisoners from making a daring escape the night of June 11, 1962. They set sail across the bay on a homemade raft made of raincoats. Then they vanished. What happened to them? Explore the theories and discover why their escape has become one of history’s greatest mysteries.
Escape from Alcatraz
written by Andy Marino
Scholastic, 2024
A historical thriller for ages 8 and up. In the middle of the San Francisco Bay looms Alcatraz, home to America’s most infamous prisoners. Also home to Chip Carter and his dad, who works at the high security prison. Their neighbors are former mobsters, gangsters, and murderers, but Chip finds it to be a pretty boring place to live. After all, the inmates can’t hurt him — they’re locked up in an impenetrable fortress, surrounded by unforgiving waters. Or are they?
The Gardener of Alcatraz
written by Emma Bland Smith
illustrated by Jenn Ely
Charlesbridge, 2022
In this picture book biography, Elliott Michener was locked away in Alcatraz for counterfeiting. He was determined to defy the odds and bust out. But when he got a job tending the prison garden, a funny thing happened. He found new interests and skills — and a sense of dignity and fulfillment. Elliott transformed Alcatraz Island, and the island transformed him. Told with empathy and a storyteller’s flair, Elliott’s story is funny, touching, and unexpectedly relevant.
City Spies: Golden Gate
written by James Ponti
Blue Sky Press, 2004
Five kids from all over the world are drawn together to become a family of spies, a highly secret department of MI6. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. Riveting stories, mysteries, developing friendships, this is one of a series of books that will engate readers.
Inside Alcatraz
written by Heather E. Schwartz
Lerner Publications, 2023
Dive deep into Alcatraz and find out how it’s become a popular spot for history buffs and ghost hunters alike. Readers will return again and again to solve the mysteries of this historic site.
Of All Tribes: American Indians and Alcatraz
written by Joseph Bruchac
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023
On the night of November 20, 1969 — the end of one of the most tumultuous decades in American history — eighty-nine young Native American activists crossed the San Francisco Bay under cover of darkness, calling themselves the “Indians of All Tribes.” Their objective? To claim the former prison island of Alcatraz, basing their actions on an 1868 treaty that said abandoned federal land could be returned to Indigenous peoples.
Taking a stand on an island reclaimed as “Indian Land,” these peaceful protestors brought worldwide attention to the issues facing present-day Native Americans, as well as the centuries of unjust federal Indian policy. From award-winning Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac, Of All Tribes is the riveting story of the occupation that ignited the modern American Indian Movement and inspired activists everywhere.
The Warlock:
The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel
written by Michael Scott
Delacorte Press, 2011
This is the fifth of six books in a series about Nicholas Flamel, the alchemist. The series is set in the modern-day world, taking place internationally, but this particular book primarily takes place in San Francisco and Alcatraz. A thriller for ages 12 and up, there’s plenty of magic and intrigue, titanic clashes between good and evil, and teen twins who must choose the side for which they’ll fight. These are page-turners.
Where is Alcatraz?
written by Nico Medina
Penguin Workshop, 2016
he island of Alcatraz has always been a place that’s fascinated visitors, from the Native American tribes who believed it was home to evil spirits to the Spanish explorers who discovered the island. In modern times, it was a federal prison for only 29 years, but now draws over a million visitors each year. Learn the history of America’s most famous prison, from its initial construction as a fort in the 1800s, to its most famous residents such as Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly.