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Where is/are...?
Where Is Alcatraz?
Escape from the ordinary and break into Alcatraz, America's most famous prison!
The 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.
Where Is Alcatraz? also chronicles some of the most exciting escape attempts—even one that involved chipping through stone with spoons and constructing rafts out of raincoats!
The 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.
Where Is Alcatraz? also chronicles some of the most exciting escape attempts—even one that involved chipping through stone with spoons and constructing rafts out of raincoats!
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2016
112 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
February 22, 2020
Project Learning English by myself through children's books.
"In the autumn of 1962, prisoners at Alcatraz started getting moved to other federal prisons. On March 21, 1963, the final 27 prisoners left after lunch... The mayor of San Francisco asked for ideas for what to do with Alcatraz, now that the prison was closed for good...
While people argued about what to do with 'the Rock', a group of Native Americans calling themselves the Indians of All Tribes claimed that Alcatraz belonged to them. They were led by a college student named Richard Oakes, who said that a treaty signed by the US government in 1868 gave them ownership of Alcatraz.
The Indians of All Tribes wanted to occupy Alcatraz to raise awareness of how their people had been treated for so long. As early as the 1890s, Hopi Indians had been imprisoned at Alcatraz. Their crime was refusing to send their children to government schools, which were often very far away from home.
In 1953, the US government passed a law to begin closing reservations, the lands where Native Americans lived. More than one hundred thousand Native Americans were moved against their will - sent away to live in big cities, like San Francisco. Native Americans were losing their way of life.
On November 20, 1969, the Indians of All Tribes arrived on Alcatraz. Soon, a hundred people lived on the island. At times, there were as many as four hundred!
For a year and a half, they lived on Alcatraz. They made plans for a Native American university... They published a newsletter. Supporters sent them supplies... Even though the protesters were eventually removed from the island, their actions inspired others...
After the occupation of Alcatraz, the US government changed its policy toward the Native Americans. They recognized the tribes' right to self-rule. In a strange way, going to the island prison helped free Native Americans to decide their futures for themselves." (Pages 88, 90, 91, 92 and 93, 94 and 95)
"In the autumn of 1962, prisoners at Alcatraz started getting moved to other federal prisons. On March 21, 1963, the final 27 prisoners left after lunch... The mayor of San Francisco asked for ideas for what to do with Alcatraz, now that the prison was closed for good...
While people argued about what to do with 'the Rock', a group of Native Americans calling themselves the Indians of All Tribes claimed that Alcatraz belonged to them. They were led by a college student named Richard Oakes, who said that a treaty signed by the US government in 1868 gave them ownership of Alcatraz.
The Indians of All Tribes wanted to occupy Alcatraz to raise awareness of how their people had been treated for so long. As early as the 1890s, Hopi Indians had been imprisoned at Alcatraz. Their crime was refusing to send their children to government schools, which were often very far away from home.
In 1953, the US government passed a law to begin closing reservations, the lands where Native Americans lived. More than one hundred thousand Native Americans were moved against their will - sent away to live in big cities, like San Francisco. Native Americans were losing their way of life.
On November 20, 1969, the Indians of All Tribes arrived on Alcatraz. Soon, a hundred people lived on the island. At times, there were as many as four hundred!
For a year and a half, they lived on Alcatraz. They made plans for a Native American university... They published a newsletter. Supporters sent them supplies... Even though the protesters were eventually removed from the island, their actions inspired others...
After the occupation of Alcatraz, the US government changed its policy toward the Native Americans. They recognized the tribes' right to self-rule. In a strange way, going to the island prison helped free Native Americans to decide their futures for themselves." (Pages 88, 90, 91, 92 and 93, 94 and 95)
August 17, 2016
This is our first in the Where Is series, though we have read a few Who Is for school. I personally found this very interesting and full of information I was not aware of. Presented in a way that my soon-to-be second grader could not get enough of, I applaud this engaging book. Some content was a bit heinous, but given the topic, that is to be expected and it was sufficiently softened (as much as one can gently explain things like mob hits). My son loved reading this aloud to me. I look forward to other books in the series, such as Where Is The Parthenon and Where Is Mount Rushmore? 5 stars.
July 1, 2018
This is a very good book if you want to learn about history and what happened from 8000 BC to to the late 1900s
January 4, 2023
eponymous-ey sentence:
p7: They are here to see Alcatraz, the most famous prison in American history.
Very interesting. It even has a list of films--albeit a short one--featuring the famous landmark.
p7: They are here to see Alcatraz, the most famous prison in American history.
Very interesting. It even has a list of films--albeit a short one--featuring the famous landmark.
August 25, 2019
Interesting
This book was interesting. It would still probably be in use today if it wasn't so expensive to maintain and keep running
This book was interesting. It would still probably be in use today if it wasn't so expensive to maintain and keep running
October 2, 2019
it was awesome because it show a lot of details and it explain what some people don't know about.
December 9, 2019
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February 22, 2023
More than just the location
Read
May 31, 2023I visited Alcatraz many years ago during my trip to San Francisco. Today I learned why Alcatraz is called Alcatraz. Isle de los Alcatraces in Spanish means — the island of pelicans. Pelicans were the first inhabitants of the rock island before it became a fort after the US-Mexico war, then a military prison after the end of the US Civil War, and then a penitentiary with maximum security.
I’ll never forget the beautiful view of San Francisco sky line and Golden Gate Bridge from the island. According to the tour guide, it was the worst form of punishment for the prisoners to see the city and hear people laugh so close and at the same time so far.
I’ll never forget the beautiful view of San Francisco sky line and Golden Gate Bridge from the island. According to the tour guide, it was the worst form of punishment for the prisoners to see the city and hear people laugh so close and at the same time so far.
Read
March 30, 2017This was a fascinating story about a prison off the coast of San Francisco. Alcatraz Island, also know as "The Rock" is now a national park visited by millions every year. In the past, it was the most famous prison in the United States that even house Al Capone and several other notorious criminals. The book went into detail about the prison layout and what really happened inside the eerie prison walls.
July 24, 2018
I literally live these nonfiction books. They’re jam packed with loads of terrific information. I wish these types of nonfiction books were around when I was in school.
May 1, 2017
I love these books. It gave me a lot of background knowledge on Alcatraz island and criminals who were housed inside the prison. It would be a good text to have students read alongside with Al Capone Does My Shirts.
May 30, 2017
I really liked the book because it gave me a lot of info. I recommend this book to people who really likes to learn about information. This book is around 9-unlimited years old. Great book you should read it.
August 23, 2021
My nephew loves Alcatraz and is fascinated by it. We’re going to take a trip there so he wanted me to read this book. It was cute. Explained a lot, just a little juvenile. I read it to my 6 year old niece and she really liked it.
June 24, 2016
Wow, nice going: now I feel cheated because I didn't get any headphones when I toured Alcatraz.
November 12, 2017
Awesome story about a historic place!
January 13, 2018
This is a great series to introduce older children to various history concepts. We have read this one and "Who was Joan of Arc." Both were well done.
April 28, 2019
Read to my 8 year old. I have visited Alcatraz and it was really cool. I am glad it is open to the public.
April 27, 2019
Very interesting book! Loved it!
June 26, 2019
Informative, hearty and interesting. Fun map included.
August 4, 2019
Like most books in this series, the content is generally excellent. I dinged it a star for being insufficiently critical of things like modern incarceration rates (which it does mention).
March 31, 2025
Where Is Alcatraz? by Nico Medina is a book about the history of Alcatraz, a famous prison. Alcatraz Island was also called The Rock because the land was mostly rock with a little soil on top. The book tells how Alcatraz Island became a fort with over 100 cannons to defend San Francisco during the Civil War. It later turned into a military prison, and the prisoners had to build more cells to make it bigger. They kept building more and could hold over 600 prisoners. It became a maximum security prison for the worst criminals. There were famous prisoners like Al "Scarface" Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. Prisoners had to work different jobs while they were there and sometimes there were riots and escapes. The book told about how a group of prisoners used spoons to dig into the cell wall to escape. They even made paper-mache heads and painted them to look like they were sleeping in their beds when they escaped. Alcatraz was falling apart and wasn't safe to keep open, so they closed the prison in 1963. After it closed, people could visit the prison to tour and see what things were like for the prisoners back then.
I gave the book 5 stars because it was interesting to learn about how the island became a prison and the different prisoners that were there. I liked reading about what they did there and how they tried to escape. My book assignment was to learn something new, and this book helped me do that. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history and prisons.
I gave the book 5 stars because it was interesting to learn about how the island became a prison and the different prisoners that were there. I liked reading about what they did there and how they tried to escape. My book assignment was to learn something new, and this book helped me do that. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history and prisons.
April 29, 2018
The last book that I have read was Where is Alcatraz? by Nico Medina. This book explains the main events that happened at Alcatraz and pretty much how life was lived in Alcatraz. One of the main events that happened at Alcatraz was the Battle of Alcatraz where some inmates were making attempts to break free and escape from the rock. For several days the battle raged on between prisoners and National Guard troops. Life in Alcatraz was fairly simple, don't be on the bad side of the guards, and do as our told. Many famous criminals like Al Capone were there too. In 1972, Alcatraz became apart of the Golden Gate Recreation Area. It then became a very popular place to visit as a tourist and walk through the halls that inmates once walked in.
I thought this book was nice to read because is supplied the right information to the reader, including the main events that occurred there. This book was to the point for me and that made it easier to read.
I would recommend this book to kids that want to know something about Alcatraz and learn something new about it. This book isn't that long, but it is an easy reader for kids and provides information in detail.
I thought this book was nice to read because is supplied the right information to the reader, including the main events that occurred there. This book was to the point for me and that made it easier to read.
I would recommend this book to kids that want to know something about Alcatraz and learn something new about it. This book isn't that long, but it is an easy reader for kids and provides information in detail.
February 8, 2020
Where Is Alcatraz? by Nico Medina is one of the books in the NY Times award-winning "Where Is...?" series. The author presents us with the history of Alcatraz from the earliest times when American Indians considered it home of evil spirits, to its development as a fort in the 1800's, to its more recent use as a United States federal prison. Today it is visited by over a million tourists a year. As a prison it housed such infamous criminals as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Movies have been made about some of its inmates and many escape attempts have been documented, none officially recognized as successful. It was a fascinating read loaded with facts and history about one of the most famous prisons in the world.
January 18, 2023
(4.5)
Every book I read from this series is adorable! I'm a big fan of Alcatraz history (though not somebody who knows everything about it), and I found this nicely comprehensive, even including a bit about the brief Native American occupation of the island. My only concern was the seeming lack of attention to the inherent issues with containing human beings in this manner, regardless of whether or not they were able to listen into the World Series by radio. A lot of Alcatraz-related content assumes that as long as a person is bad enough, any torture is merited; while an adult concern, it is one that ought to be at least nodded to (and I think is worth approaching given that other books in this series cover things like the AIDS crisis wonderfully.)
Every book I read from this series is adorable! I'm a big fan of Alcatraz history (though not somebody who knows everything about it), and I found this nicely comprehensive, even including a bit about the brief Native American occupation of the island. My only concern was the seeming lack of attention to the inherent issues with containing human beings in this manner, regardless of whether or not they were able to listen into the World Series by radio. A lot of Alcatraz-related content assumes that as long as a person is bad enough, any torture is merited; while an adult concern, it is one that ought to be at least nodded to (and I think is worth approaching given that other books in this series cover things like the AIDS crisis wonderfully.)
April 3, 2019
The book, Where is Alcatraz? by Nico Medina, is a biography that talks about all the different "stages" Alcatraz experienced. Alcatraz was the most famous prison in the United States! Life on Alcatraz was terrible! As many as 15 men lived in just one dark basement cell. To make matters worse, there was no heat. And no toilets-just buckets! Alcatraz was also once home to Al Capone. Al was smart. At only 14, he dropped out of school and joined a gang of tough street kids. Lot's of things happened in Alcatraz. If you'd like to find out more about the different things that happened to Alcatraz. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the United States' past.
November 17, 2020
Accidentally becoming a prison? No! Everything gets a why. Its location and Indian myth makes it a fantastic prison for convicts of federal crime such as plane hijacking, tax evasion and bank robbery. What'more, it was created by those prisoners themselves. What fascinates me is that though a prison, it enjoys a Library, LIBRARY!!! It's equally interesting that prisoners living there named the corridor after famous avenue like Broadway. Another thing was the story of Al who sold liquor illegally by any cruel means. Ugh. Now, it is a popular tourist attraction led by Indian tribes. Wanna to go...
April 13, 2025
Were it not for a couple of minor elements including the unnecessary mention of Darwin and his (false) "theory of evolution," this would have been a five-star book. The history of Alcatraz is enthralling, and I believe that it is something that everyone should learn about at some point in their life. The harsh real-life details may prove to be a little much for some of the younger demographic of readers, but the way that this book is told grasps and keeps the reader's attention right up until near the end.
January 23, 2020
This book is about the Alcatraz Prison's history before it was closed and after it was closed.
This book is a Biography of Alcatraz.
My favorite part in this book is when the book talks about how the 4 escapees of Alcatraz escaped the prison their names were Frank, Allen, Clarence, and John. This was my favorite part of the book because it told me that they these 4 cut through a wall with spoons and made a raft out of raincoats and escaped.
This book is a Biography of Alcatraz.
My favorite part in this book is when the book talks about how the 4 escapees of Alcatraz escaped the prison their names were Frank, Allen, Clarence, and John. This was my favorite part of the book because it told me that they these 4 cut through a wall with spoons and made a raft out of raincoats and escaped.
February 13, 2020
Read this with my twins that are 10. Good facts about the history and current state of the prison. I was unaware that you had to get tickets more than a year in advance. I was also unaware that the bird man of Alcatraz didn't even have birds. That name came from him having birds at his old prison. Good read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews