One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Ages 10 and up
Delphine, and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern, visit their estranged mother in Oakland, California during the summer of ’68. When Delphine and her sisters go to a summer camp, run by the Black Panther Party, their eyes are opened to new ways of thinking about things: some scary, some reasonable. Through all of this, Delphine and her sisters also struggle to come to terms with their mother, her nonchalance about their existence, and who they are regardless.
My Rating: 4 stars
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Ages 10 and up
Moose and his family have just moved to Alcatraz Island, where his dad will be working as a guard. Set in the 1930s, Moose is worried about the prisoners on the island, including Al Capone. Moose meets Piper, the outgoing, overbearing, and very cute daughter of the warden. Piper is very talented at breaking the rules, while she has her dad convinced that she is blameless. Moose has to deal with Piper, his own sister who is autistic, a dad who is so busy keeping the Island safe that he isn’t around to keep his own family safe.
My Rating: 5 stars
The Read-e-ologist 
Great book, thanks for the recommendation! Moose is a pretty cool kid, and I thought all of the characters where well developed. Also enjoyed the ‘facts’ at the end that the book was based around.
Wonder if Moose grew up to be a doctor or something working with Autistic young adults?
FYI – This site is way cooler with an IPad
You could read Al Capone Shines my Shoes to find out! Actually, the sequel won’t really tell about Moose as a grown-up, but who wants to read about a grown-up? Instead, you can read about Moose, a twelve-year-old who needs Seven Fingers, the Ax Murderer, to come over and help with a stopped up toilet.