Children of Alcatraz: Growing up on the Rock by Claire Rudolf Murphy

From the Publisher

Alcatraz Island is one of the most infamous places in American history.  The maximum-security prison on the “Rock,” once home to criminals like Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and the Birdman of Alcatraz, has long since captured our country's imagination. But what few people realize is that during the past 200 years, Alcatraz was not only home to criminals—it was home to many children, too!  Over the years, the island has been home to the children of Native Americans, lighthouse keepers, military soldiers, and prison guards.
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  With personal anecdotes, revealing interviews with the surviving Alcatraz Kids, historical documents, and archival and family photographs, Children of Alcatraz reveals a one-of-a-kind childhood sure to fascinate readers young and old.

Children's Literature

Imagine children growing up on an island called Alcatraz in the middle of San Francisco Bay where criminals were housed in a maximum security prison. After visiting this infamous island, author Murphy became interested in writing a book on this subject. She wondered how children could thrive and grow in a place where famous criminals such as Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and the Birdman of Alcatraz were being punished for their crimes. But the author found out through historical documents and archives, family photographs, and interviews with the surviving children that growing up on the island wasn't that bad. Most of the children's fathers were prison guards, and in order to keep the families together they were allowed to live on the island. There were many rules to follow, but the children were allowed to live fairly normal lives. They played, explored those parts of the island they could, had parties, went to school, and made friends. The author also discusses the history of the island from before 1854, its use as a military prison in 1861, then a U.S. Penitentiary called Alcatraz in 1934-63, the closing of the prison, other transitions, and its status now as a National Historic Park. The survivors' stories, plus many black and white photographs of the children, their families, and historical figures highlights a time and place young readers will find interesting. Further reading and a timeline are included.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-While other books cover the history of Alcatraz Island for this audience, none of them give more than a brief mention of the many children who lived there over the years. Murphy's clearly written history starts with the island's use by Native Americans in the pre-Colonial era and continues through its various incarnations as a lighthouse, military post, and then prison. She follows the federal penitentiary years, the island's rearming during World War II, the Native American occupation of 1969-71, and the island's current incarnation as a National Historical Park. The young people who lived there were mostly children of employees and of the Native Americans during the occupation, but also included youthful prisoners. Liberally illustrated with black-and-white archival photographs, the book also includes print, AV, and Internet resources. While useful for reports, this title will appeal to general readers.-Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0802795773
  
• ISBN-13: 9780802795779
• Format: Hardcover, 64pp
• Publisher: Walker & Company
• Pub. Date: September 2006
• Sales Rank: 104,706
• Age Range: 8 to 12