Taking Sides

by Clifford Hicks, Clifford B. Hicks, Johnny Heller (Narrator)

The Foolproof Burglar alarm. The Sure Shot Paper Slinger. The Portable Fire Escape. Alvin Fernald invented them all. But even Alvin needs to think twice around the old Huntley place. It's like something out of a horror movie--especially because no one's seen Mrs. Huntley in days. Can Alvin and his inventions crack the case?

Genres: Sports, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, School, Coming Of Age, Friendship

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Cj Rittenhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking sides is about a young Spanish boy named Lincoln Mendoza. Lincoln is in the eigth grade at Franklin Junior high in the barrio of San Fransico. After his house gets broken into Lincoln's mother decides to move to the white suburbs in Sycamore because their is less crimee. He leaves everything behind in the barrio including his friends. Lincoln was the star player at Franklin Junior high until he moved. His new coach treats him unfairly. Lincoln is now suffereing from a hurt knee, being homesick, and being treated unfairly. Lincoln's coach benches him on the big night of the game between his old school and his new school. This forces Lincoln to figure out where he belongs and who he is.

[Had Assay · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so boring. I tried soon hard to get into it but I just could not. Throughout the whole time I was reading, I was waiting for SOMETHING to actually happen. Every time there was a "problem" it was resolved after about one chapter. Lots of left out information and some things were not explained thoroughly enough. All in all I DO NOT recommend this book. No plot, bad storyline and terrible characters. DO NOT READ!!

[Shauny alliknowisgo Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a kid named Lincoln who used to live in the city and played basketball for is old school and was loving his life until he moved to the suburbs because someone broke into is home and stole his television and his radio . So his mother got tired of her neighborhood so she moved from there . Lincoln hates his new school because he is mexican and there is no mexican people at the school . His mom got a new boyfriend named roy and he used to play for Lincoln's old school . But the day before his game he met a girl and played basketball with her and hurt his knee so he couldn't play in the game against his old school and he was the best player on his team so his team lost . Then the coach calls Lincoln over to him and grips him up and since Roy had already punched the coach out at a basketball game when they were Lincoln's age he stood up and said something to the coach and the coach ignored it . So Lincoln's old coach offered him to go out for pizza with his old team to celebrate their victory even tho Lincoln's old team didn't win the game he went with them since his mother and roy was going to take him out anyway.

[Venu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking sides is a book about a boy named Lincoln who once lived in a bad neighborhood. He later moves out of that bad neighborhood into a rich neighborhood. Lincoln lives with his Mom, his step father, and his dog Flaco. His dog was given as a gift by his dad. The climax of the story is when his new school plays his old school in a basketball game. Lincoln is really into basketball. Throughout the story Lincoln goes through the struggles of being the only Hispanic in his white neighborhood he also goes through the struggles of being new to the school.

My favorite character in this story is Lincoln because he is really good at dealing with stuff under pressure for example when he was hurt and somebody broke into his house he was very calm and tried to fight the intruder. The characters felt very real to me. The story was very predictable throughout the whole story I knew what was going to happen next. My favorite part of the book is when Lincoln's house gets broken into and Lincoln has the courage to get out of bed and try to fight the intruder. I felt like some parts of this story were not written well when the mood was sad the author would put something funny in, and it doesn't go with the mood. At the end of the story is was very relieving for the reader. At the beginning of the story the book is very boring but when you get past the the beginning it is very interesting and you want to keep on reading the book.

I did not like the end because it wasn't complete, the ending was worse than a cliff hanger. Another thing I did not like about this story is that it is very short and the story feels kind of rushed. The climax is at the end of the story and the climax is short and the details are very descriptive.

All in all I liked this book, I wish it was longer but it was a very entertaining book. I would rate this book a 3 out of 5. The people that would enjoy this book are people who like sports books and realistic fiction book. This is a very good novel written by Gary Soto.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main characters in my book is Lincoln Mendoza, he is Mexican and like to play basketball he's the all-star of his team. Lincoln had moved schools due to someone breaking into his house so they moved out of the barrio. Him and his mom and dog had moved to a more decent neighborhood where Lincolns friends thought it was rich people and white people. His friends said that Lincoln was changing a lot since he moved from the barrio and from schools but Lincoln did not agree with it because he said that even though he moved to a different neighborhood that doesn't mean that he had changed. The main conflict in the book is when Lincoln hurts his knee playing basketball with his crush (Monica) and he is worried that he won't be able to play against his old school. My personal reaction to my book was normal because I can connect to the way they talk and the things they do because me and my family get along like that. I personally rate this book with 5 stars and recommend anyone that can relate to this in any type of way.

[Victor]

In taking sides what I liked was that lincoln ended up being in both sides after he didn't know which side to pick. What I disliked was that the sport was basketball. Lincoln was my favorite character because he's the main character and never gave up when his knee was injured. Easy because it didn't have many hard words and had Spanish words.
To never give up cause he didn't give up on playing just because his knee was hurt. Coach cater reminds me of this book because they keep playing to win something out of it like Lincoln did when he was going up against his old school franklin.

[Alexis Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was probably the best book I've ever read. It is so good with the descriptions and the feeling. As well of the dialogue. Then having a guy break in his house, with a girl he liked, but couldn't tell. Having a hurt foot, coach being mean about it. Then having to play against his own team. Brilliant. This book is way more than a 5-star rating.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this with my students for the past two years. No more. It is horribly boring. Students just glare at me whenever I tell them that we need to "get through this book".
I don't disagree with them.
The venacular is dated and the story plods along.
Ugh. Never again.

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have many questions as to why this book was included in our 7th grade curriculum. It is better suited for 4-5th grade readers. The plot is very thin, but my students definitely enjoyed reading a book from a Latino boy's perspective.

[George Kasnic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using in my Sixth Grade reading class. Accessible for students with relatable content that will grab their attention, present conflict in a way they can connect to, with the added bonus of rich bilingual (Spanish)content.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

(for 7th grade reading intervention group)

[Annalisa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking Sides
By: Gary Soto

Do you love basketball?? Well Taking Sides is the book for you! You wouldn't think that a teen age boy would have so many problems. Lincoln goes through a lot of ups and downs, through out this book! One really big problem is that he has to choose between losing his best friend ever or playing basketball!

Taking sides starts off in a town where people get robbed all the time. Lincoln moved to get away from all the robbers. Then the story goes to his new home town. The book also takes place in lincolns new Fraklin. There is three major characters in this book. There is Lincoln, Flaco, and Monica.

Taking sides is about how Lincoln has to choose if he is going to play against his old school in basketball. On the way he meets two very important people. Lincoln's best friend Tony and the girl he likes, Monica. But, Tony also likes Monica so Lincoln and Tony fight over her a lot. Then one day he was just playing basketball with Monica and, then BAM! Lincoln hurt his knee trying to keep the ball away from Monica.

Lincoln didn’t want to go to the doctor because he was scared as as a dog when a story comes. Tony was worried that Lincoln couldn't play against his old team now. But, it heals!! Lincoln was ready to play against his old team, but he was worried that he would lose his friends. He was having second thoughts about play them. Tony came in and talked him into playing them.

Taking Sides made me feel so curious! It makes you wish you could read super fast, so you can see what happens next. Some parts of the book just make you feel extreme sorrow for him. Most of the time you have a huge smile on your face because this book is hilarious!

This book has a splash of almost every emotion. It's sad, hilarous, and makes you want to read on. I would feel scared for Lincoln to be in a new school and have no friends or know where anything is. I could just imagine how hard it would be to live his life!

I would totally recommend this book for other kids! Could you imagine having to move and have no friends at all?? Well that is how Lincoln felt. Once you read this book you will experince what Lincoln had to go through. Read this book to experince what Lincoln felt!
Annalisa M.
Mannhiem Middle School

[Taylor Manrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soto takes readers through the story of the harsh reality that young Lincoln is going through in his life. Lincoln is a shining star on the basketball court, he loves the game and playing with his best friends. Living in a violent and crime-bound neighborhood, Lincoln and his mother are always faced with the threat of someone breaking into their home, which has happened before. After their house has been broken into once again, Lincoln's mother decides it is time to move to a safer neighborhood, unfortunately meaning Lincoln must attend a different school. Saddened by the move away from his team and friends, Lincoln must learn to adjust to his new school, especially if he wants to continue playing basketball. As if the moves wasn't enough Lincoln's new coach treats him unfairly, he injures his knee, and must deal with being the only Hispanic kid at an predominately white school. Lincoln is forced to go through finding himself in this new place, while still trying to keep his old home as a part of his life. This story is perfect for readers of this age level(middle-level to high school), as the story comes from the perspective of someone their age. This story can be relatable for readers who have experienced a move and being the new kid, and the struggles that come with that. Readers can also relate to the passion Lincoln feels towards his sport, especially since this is the age when sports become competitive and a big part of young adult's lives. Readers of the Hispanic decent can relate to this story the most, probably because of the fact that Lincoln is a Hispanic male that struggles with being the minority of his new school. I was really able to relate to Lincoln when it came to being so passionate about athletics, as I was and still am. I know what it is like to deal with adversity when all you want to do is play and be the best at what you are doing. Although I enjoyed the concept of this story, I felt that it dragged on too much, when it could have been resolved chapters prior. By making this book shorter and getting to the resolution faster, I believe it would make it easier for readers to read and enjoy. This book can be used in the classroom as a reader's theater, where students can pick characters and a scene from the book to be acted out in front of the class. This way emotions and perspectives of the characters can be understood better.

[sleepygirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I have to say about this book is- mmm not for me. Maybe if I was a huge basketball fan I would have enjoyed this book more, but this book was utterly boring. [Spoilers] I had to read this as a school project so I read it in Spanish. The entire time I read this book I was waiting for something interesting to happen, spoiler, nothing does. Half of the book we are waiting for the main character to go on a date with this girl he thinks is hot, and then the date comes around and it doesn’t even go well. Not like in an interesting way either. At the end of the date the girl doesn’t want to be with him and he breaks his knee. In the beginning of the book his house gets robbed and someone steels his TV so they move? Then in their new house their house gets robbed again but they don’t move again for some reason? If you think that’s boring wait till you read the rest of the book. The rest of the book centers on how his coach is rude to him and forces him to play in the big game against his old school, and being that his coach is racist and rude makes him play. By this point in the book his knee is all better, so why did the author need to include that he broke his knee exactly? During the game he has to sit on the bench and when his coach calls him up, being the wise kid he is, he plays for his old school instead of his new school to spite the coach. At the end of the game obviously the coach is upset, and calls him over to talk and he refuses. Half of the things that happen in this book are useless to the story. I wish I didn’t have to waste my time reading this book. If any teacher is reading this review, PLEASE save your students from boredom and choose a better book, like The hate u Give, if you want to teach them about racism. This book is not it, but them again I can’t relate to the character or play basketball, so maybe if you do this book would be suited better for you.

[America Saenz]

Lincoln Mendoza is an eighth grade Hispanic boy who used to play basketball for his old school, Franklin Junior High. His Latino populated neighborhood and his school were not one of the best ones out there, as it was very poor and filled with many crimes. One day, Lincoln's house is broken into and him and his mom move into a neighborhood of white people, where the everything is much nicer and there is much less crimes. He makes new friends at his new school, Columbus. One day, he injures himself and cannot play against his old school. All the time he is out and not playing basketball makes him homesick and he misses his friends, his school, and everything. He begins to reflect upon himself and if he is still loyal to his buddies at home, and true to his true Mexican self. This book is great, especially for those of Mexican heritage. It makes you really connect with the protagonist of the book, even if your heritage isn't Mexican because it is about staying true to who you are. I would recommend it to those who like stories they can connect to in several ways. By reading a story about something that can happen on real life, one can unlock the meaning and message behind it.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taking Sides, Gary Soto is a multicultural book based on a Mexican-American boy who recently moves from a poor neighborhood to a wealthier neighborhood. Soto describes the difficulties the child faces by trying to fit in at his new school. As a work of multiculturalism the text shows the relationship the mother and son have by their use of some Spanish words and phrases. Soto also incorporates the single parent and the stepfather roles into the novel. At first the main character, Lincoln, does not care for his stepfather but by the end of the book he is happy that his stepfather is there with him. Throughout the novel Lincoln talks about the differences between his old neighborhood and his new one. Something I did not like about the book was that there were a lot of Spanish words included in the book, and it did not give an English translation after all of them which would make it very hard for a young student to read. Overall I thought this was a good book, especially to use as a multicultural book for kids who are interested in sports.

[Debra Goodman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lincoln Mendoza has moved with his Mom from the barrio to a white suburb. As a basketball player, his team will play his old school - and Lincoln adjusts to his new world and his changing relationships with his long time friend.

It's a Latino author telling everyday slice of life story from the perspective of a middle school boy. Lots of details about basketball, which young basketball players might enjoy (but I skimmed over:). Not a very eventful story, and tensions between characters are present but somewhat easily resolved.

There is a lot of Spanish in the book, which I enjoyed. However, the translations were provided within the dialogue, which was puzzling. One reviewer says that not everything was translated - but I actually wished more things were suggested by context... translated through the responses, etc. For me the Spanish was a plus for bilingual students to see Spanish in print.

[Terry Marzell]

Soto, Gary. Taking Sides. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc. 1991. Target Audience: Ages 8-12. Reading Level: 5.7. When eighth-grader Lincoln Mendoza moves from the inner city to the suburbs, he is forced to adjust to a predominately white school filled with upper-middle class students. He must make a personal decision about loyalties divided between his “homies” and former basketball team-mates and his new school’s basketball team when the two schools are matched for an important league game. This coming-of-age story with a Hispanic protagonist would appeal to boys interested in sports. I appreciated the inclusion of Spanish-language dialogue which lent an air of authenticity to the narrative. Tag: CSULB Class 5 MS Realistic Fiction.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, so I totally could not garner up enough energy to finish this totally disappointing book. The story is dull and unengaging. The characters are flat. It was really hard to get into. Hard to keep going. So around page 50 (it's only 100 pages) I stopped.

This was especially disappointing compared to some of his other really engaging and relevant stories/novels. I loved reading "Seventh Grade" with my students last year because the story is interesting and easy to relate to. I enjoyed his recent novel Accidental Love because the characters and the plot seemed so real. If you value your own time, skip this book and opt for one of the others instead.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was published in 1991 and the language, mainly slang, in this book shows its age. I think that kids could relate to the story about a boy who is able to move out of barrio but Lincoln seems to have moved straight into a very wealthy suburb which is less realistic. The conflict of not knowing who to be loyal to is also relate-able but the terminology used is just too 90s (i.e. talking about Montgomery Wards!) There is somewhat mature topics such as Lincoln having an ex-girlfriend and liking a new girl at school, theft, and fighting which makes this book a solid junior high book in my mind.

[Erin Hebert · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful. There were so many irrelevent sections and it felt like the deeper meaning was to be loyal to your race no matter what. Furthermore, why do we always have to read stuff like this for school? It's always basketball and the perils of living on the streets. I can't connect with that, and don't know many who can. Even with fantasy we may not be able to connect so well but atleast it will be an enjoyable read. Gary Soto and Walter Dean Myers, in my opinion, are not enjoyable reads.

[Catherine Daou · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book in seventh grade and hated it, now I am in the 10th grade and my younger sister (who is in the 7th grade herself) was reading it, so I thought I'd give it another try, and hoped that I turned out a bit smarter and would appreciate it a bit more.
I am absolutely sorry to say that it was even worse than I remembered, and I dropped it half way through...
The plot was too slow, the characters too passive (for lack of a better word), and the whole story too "normal"; I mean nothing really ever happens.
So honestly, I would not recommend this book to anyone...

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lincoln goes to Franklin high. He moved from the Mission District of San Francisco, an urban barrio, to sycamore, a pleasant suburban town with tree-lined streets. Lincoln hurt his knee and doesn't want to play but the coach is making him play. I think this book was good because this actually happens to people. Yes I would recommend this book to other people because it could be a real life situation for people. On page 79 it says Coach " I hurt my knee, its pretty bad."Coach tucked the ball under his arm and commanded, "Get dressed. You don't have time to be hurt."

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I just couldn't get interested in this one. Maybe it was the focus on sports. Maybe it was the simplistic sentence structure. Maybe it was because there didn't seem to be much of a plot or conflict until the last third of the book and then it was pretty weak. This was more just Lincoln living his life than a story with a point. I've seen better from Soto.

And the break-in was never resolved. Seriously, are we just going to let that hang without any further comment?

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Soto's best, but soooo believable. I loved that the protagonist was no hero and that the book did not have a forced "feel good" ending or message that so many books for middle-schoolers do. Very real kid with flaws in a very real situation, which many kids can relate to on a number of levels. Just a good read with lots of opportunities for discussion.

[Elizabeth Clevenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always so much fun to read anything by Gary Soto! The use of figurative language is amazing! I read this years ago as a novel study with my sixth graders for several years in a row. Then decided to read it to my husband for a recent road trip. He really enjoyed it!

[Rolando · Rating 1 out of 5]

2/11/2008
This book is about taking sides and basketball. I like this book because it'[s about basketball and friends playing each other.

[Tricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book lacks a lot of depth. Overall a boring read.

[Phyllis · Rating 1 out of 5]

With so much good YA literature, why would we require students to read this lackluster book?

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I strongly disliked this book. the only reason I read it was for battle of the books