Sunday Synopsis

Escape from Alcatraz by Eric Braun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't know too much about Alcatraz before reading this book, only that some men had tried to escape and the prison closed shortly thereafter. That was the extent of my knowledge. I originally purchased this book for my classroom thinking it would appeal to a lot of my boys. After reading it, I would also say it might be appealing to girls. It was a very interesting story.

I love how the author explained a bit of history of the three men and what led them to being in prison at Alcatraz. He didn't include so much that it was boring. It was actually necessary. This shed some light on their personalities and their abilities as it relates to their escape plan. Braun also went in to great detail about the escape plan, how they procured supplies, and how they planned for every contingency. He also discussed several scenarios that could explain what happened to the three men who escaped "The Rock."

Photographs that help the reader visualize parts of the prison and parts of the plan are also included. This was a very informative yet easy-to-read book. My son has said for a long time he would like to visit Alcatraz, and I think I do, too, now that I know more about what happened.

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