Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko
Published by Wendy Lamb Books on May 8th 2018
ISBN: 1101938137
Pages: 240
Goodreads

As the fourth in a series, Al Capone Throws Me a Curve seems to have wrapped the story and brought it to a conclusion.  Moose has managed to land a position on the high school baseball team, his father is promoted in the jail and his older sister may be on the verge of a career.   Influenced highly by the famous crime boss this historic fiction will attract those interested in Al Capone and baseball lovers.

Many strong characters will not disappoint but readers are left wondering why Moose’s mother is not fully developed.  End pages contain support materials specific to Capone’s years in the famous San Francisco jail.   His passion for the sport of baseball is documented. Such research enhances the series and puts it a cut above many other current series written for this age group.

Add this to middle and intermediate media centers and to public libraries where the series is collected. Librarians who have not included this series previously should consider doing so.

A Tale from Alcatraz series.

Review by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME