taking sides

by Gary Soto

Book by gary soto

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

Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Gary Soto is the author of eleven poetry collections for adults, most notably New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the National Book Award. His poems have appeared in many literary magazines, including Ploughshares, Michigan Quarterly, Poetry International, and Poetry, which has honored him with the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Award and by featuring him in the interview series Poets in Person. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. For ITVS, he produced the film “The Pool Party,” which received the 1993 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Film Excellence. In 1997, because of his advocacy for reading, he was featured as NBC’s Person-of-the-Week. In 1999, he received the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Author-Illustrator Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the PEN Center West Book Award for Petty Crimes. He divides his time between Berkeley, California and his hometown of Fresno.

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.

[Jalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lincoln Mendoza is a star basketball player for Franklin Junior High in the barrio of San Francisco, but when his house is broken into, his mother decides they should move to a better neighborhood the prosperous white suburb of Sycamore ten miles away. Lincoln likes the change at first, but soon he begins to miss his old friends and school. There's more to Lincoln's plight than being homesick, though. He has a fight with Tony, his best friend from the barrio; his divorced mother has a white boyfriend whom Lincoln dislikes; his basketball coach doesn't like him; he hurts his knee; and his new house is broken into. What else can go wrong? Well, he has a fight with Monica, a girl from his new school whom he really likes, and his coach benches him for the big game between his new school and his old one. When the big game finally takes place, it forces Lincoln to figure out who he is and where he belongs.

exposition- Lincoln is on the phone with Tony, talking about the bet they made. The bet was on a basketball game. And Lincoln got lucky and won the bet by a close game.

rising action- Lincolns school has to play against Franklin, Lincoln's old school, and Lincoln is very anxious to play them. he doesn't know which side to take. if he pick Franklin high school he dont know how he is going to play and if he chose Columbus he doesn't want tony to be mad at him.

climax - Lincoln hurts his knee and can't play against Franklin. he hurts his knee playing monica in a game of basketball. he leaped up in the air to block her shot and came down on if

falling action - They're playing Franklin and coach calls outs Lincoln into the game and Franklin win. But Franklin didn't care because he wanted Franklin junior high to win.

conflict- when Franklin junior high plays Columbus junior high and he doesn't know who he wants to win. but he ends up taking Franklin junior high side. He did it because he only really liked one person on Columbus high.

resolution- lincoln picked franklin junior high his old school. he wished he was still going there because he didn't like his basketball coach. he always takled about how he wished he was still going to franklin junior high.

setting- Taking Sides takes place in San Francisco around the late 1990s or early 2000s. We know this because the main character, Lincoln listens to the rapper Ice-T who began rapping in 1997. Moreover, the book states that Lincoln was listening to him on a cassette tape, which were popular around that time. Lincoln also lived in Mission District before he moved to Sycamore California.

protagonist- The protagonist is Lincoln. It is lincoln because it is all about him picking which team he wants to represent and what team he wants to win.

antagonist- Coach yatuis is the antagonist. He is because throughout the whole story him and Lincoln didn't get along at all. And he was always on Lincolns back and nobody liked him.

Denouement- Franklin junior high beats Franklin junior high. they won by 13 points and Lincoln came in and closed the gap of the score.

Secondary characters- Monica, yutius, tony, james, roy, flaco, vickey, beatrice

[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.

[Yihyun Shin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: One day, Lincoln's house is broken into and he and his mom move into a neighborhood of white people, so he moved to a new school 'Columbus' and played basketball for them. the story explains the conflict between Lincon's best friends and his new school.

The first theme of the book which is the author’s main message was, “Do your best at what you like”. There is a text that shows the major character(Lincon)’s act “Lincoln rubbed his swollen knee and ran”(Soto 105). This is when Lincoln decided to play a basketball game even though he got hurt. It tells us how he worked hard at basketball.
The other text evidence says “Under the overhead lights the knee looked more purple than ever. He could hurt his knee even worse if he plays the game”(Soto 103). It shows how terrible that Lincoln's knee was. Following the text evidence above, we can know the author's message. For success on your part, put some hard work into it.
The second theme in the story is, “Do not try to force the other”. In the book, Lincoln's basketball coach yelled to Lincoln “Come on, don’t be a crybaby”(Soto 104). It shows that the basketball coach is an unknowing guy who does not consider the players' situation. The coach also yelled “Get dressed. You don’t have time to be hurt”(Soto 101). This is the coach's answer when Lincoln said about his knee. It shows how bad that coach is. In conclusion, The second message that the author wants to send is that you should not force someone who doesn't do what you want.
This book is for someone who likes the story about friendship. If you are someone who wants to read a story about basketball, I don't recommend it to you.
I do not like this book because this book is more about friendship than basketball. The climax of the book is when Lincoln plays the basketball game, but it is only a few pages long. It makes me bored

[Damaris C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for teens and other ages because it shows the challenges they have to go through. This book is about a boy named Lincoln who likes to play basketball, but now he lives in a new neighborhood.
Lincoln missed a lot a of his friends, now that he goes to a new school. He met a lot of friends and now that he met a girl named Monica he spends more time with her. When he asked Monica if she wanted to play basketball, she said yes. When they got to the basketball court they started playing. Lincoln fell and hurt his knee. Now he is scared that he will not get to play. He is struggling to walk and play. His coach got mad because he is not going to play.
My favorite part of the book is when they broke in Lincoln’s house, and Lincoln saw that it was a man with a black mask, Lincoln panicked and he took a coffee cup and threw it at the man. But I was glad they didn’t steal anything from his house. Lincoln's mother thought he was very brave. I think he was brave too because sometimes people would only wait till the police come. I wouldn’t do this because I'm not that brave!
I felt sad when Lincolns mom said that her boyfriend was going have dinner with them, but Lincoln felt sad and mad because his dad was working somewhere else and he no longer lived in the house. I have a connection like this because when my cousin was little she only lived with her mom, until her mom met with someone else. And now her dad lives far away and she lives far away but they see each other every weekend.
I recommend this book because some people like basketball and this book a little bit of basketball. I think this book is nice because there is sometimes problems that Lincoln needs to face, and people think he is strong as lion. I think this is a awesome book!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

After another break-in to he and his mother's house, Lincoln's mom decides to move them out of the ghetto and into the suburbs. Even though Lincoln knows he should be happy to be in a suburban school, he is not. He misses his old friends and school. He feels left out because he is a minority in the new school. After getting into a fight with his best friend, Lincoln feels more frustrated when his mom starts dating a new boyfriend. He feels isolated and alone. Basketball used to make him happy, but when his coach starts picking on him before the big rival game between his new school and his old school, he's not sure which side he should be on. Should he play well for his new school and win against all his old friends?

This book is definitely great for a middle school classroom. I first read this book when I taught it to my 8th graders. They actually liked it! There are a lot of similar feelings that Lincoln goes through that a lot of my boys could identify with. Not only that, but the main character is a Latin American teenager, and so a lot of my students were excited to read about a character that was like them. For anyone who's teaching middle school students, you should look into reading this book with your class! I have a lot of materials left over from when I taught it that I don't mind sharing!

[Nix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Taking Sides

Author: Gary Soto

Summary: Lincoln is a star basketball player for Franklin Junior High, a tough school in a bad neighborhood. Then he moves to a nicer school district and goes to Columbus Junior High. When he has to play against his old school, he doesn't know if he should play hard and seem like a traitor to Franklin or be easy and seem like a traitor to Columbus. In the end he realizes that he's not like the Columbus kids. He's a Franklin through and through, wearing a Columbus uniform. He plays for himself and for the love of the game, not worrying about who wins.

Stars: 7. Not one of my favorite genres, but Gary Soto's writing is really realistic.

Violence: 6. Fighting is discussed, but never described in detail. Lincoln has a toe injury and a knee injury, and both are described (the injuries, not the acquiring of them).

Romance: 6 for discussion of boyfriends (come on, I mean, they're in eighth grade, but still . . .) and minimal hand-holding.

Language: 0

Appropriate for: junior high/middle school

Other: This was a good exercise of my Spanish. For the words I didn't know, there was a glossary in the back (which I never found until I was finished . . .). I liked the culture intertwined in this book (for example, the tortillas at all meals and speaking Spanish at home).

[Dominic Romo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking Sides by Gary Soto is a very similar book to The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian. Taking Sides is about Lincoln Mendoza, a Hispanic boy living in a very violent part of San Francisco, with frequent robberies and shootings. After their house is robbed, his mom takes it as the last straw and decides to move into a safer, white, neighborhood. Lincoln played basketball for Franklin Junior High School, but after the move he has to adjust to the new environment and his coach, whom highly dislikes Lincoln. He has a fight with his best friend Tony from his old neighborhood, and has trouble with girls and getting playing time on his basketball team. This book is very similar to The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian because like Lincoln, Junior from Part-Time Indian also moves school from harsh conditions, joins the basketball team, is not accepted by the white people, has a fight with his best friend and has issues with girls from the new school and in the end having to play his old team and friends. Readers that can relate to Hispanic culture, struggles with barrios and adjusting to new environments with many issues will truly feel connected. It would be hard for most to connect emotionally with the story if they have not had similar struggles or can not understand some common Spanish frases(phrases).

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book i read called Taking Sides by Gary Soto. This book setting in modern day. The main character of the book is Lincoln Medoza. I can not relate this book to no other book. The Cons of this book is the challegeing spanish words in the book. This book is special because it talks about basketball and i love sports like basketball. The pros of this book is that is has basketball, talking with friends, stealing to make a living. The plot of the book is a junior high school name Columbus Junior High. Other significant characters are Tony, James, Flaco, Monica. This specific major event is beating Franklin Junior High is basketball it is major because that is the school Lincoln went to before he transfered to Colmbus. A hook of the book is that Lincoln is the best player on Colmbus Junior High so they named him Team Captain. I can make a text to self connection because i played basketball for a league up until 9th grade. One special scene is where colmbus beats Franklin Junior High. My opinion of the book is that is was a wonderful book and i suggest people should read this book.The ending was very good; i liked it alot. It was pretty good, and i wish the book hadn't ended so soon.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking sides is a fictitious coming of age story about finding one's own identity. Lincoln Mendoza is a really good basketball player and everything is going well for him at his school. He is popular and has tons of friends. But one day his house gets broken into and his mother decides that their neighborhood is too unsafe and they need to move. They move into a white neighborhood, and Lincoln's life starts to go downhill. He is not white and he has a hard time fitting in. Race is a big issue that Lincoln has to face as he tries to find his own identity. His mom is dating a white guy he doesn't like, he hurt his knee, his coach doesn't like him, he is having relationship problems and to make things worse, he is facing his old basketball team. Luckily at this point in the novel there is still enough time for Lincoln to figure out who he is and what his life is all about. All YA readers should be able to relate to the issues of self-identity and racial discrimination that this book presents. I do think, however, that male readers who are sports fans are going to be more drawn to this book because there are frequent sports references.

[Stephon · Rating 5 out of 5]

right now i just had checked it out and i haven't read it yet.


Now that i finished taking sides i think the book is really good. The book taking sides is about a boy named Lincoln who likes to play basketball with his friends. Then when Lincoln wants to play basketball for his school Franklin he can't play because his mom tells him that they are moving to a different city and that he has to leave his friends. Then when he leaves he starts attending Columbus high school and starts to play basketball for their team and figures out that he has to play against his old team. At the same time he doesn't want to play against them but then he doesn't want to disappoint his team members on his team so then he decides to play against them this one time.

Actually liked the book because i thought it was really interesting and I'm into sports books so when i started to read it i had started to get into the book. The book in my opinion was really good because it was about a boy that had to choose between playing basketball or nit playing because he doesn't want to play against his friends and he doesn't want his friends to think that he is a trader.

[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.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lincoln’s new school, his love for basketball, the bumps in his life and worrying about his upcoming game against his old school, is making him feel overwhelmed. The main character, Lincoln, has to face an extremely mean coach, a man breaking into their new house and moving from his old home. All of these issues make him more caring and brave.I think a very meaningful part of the book, was when Lincoln stood up against his coach and helped out an old man.

This is more of a sports lovers book and is partly in Spanish. It was hard for me to fully understand what was going on because of the Spanish. At the back of the book there was a Spanish dictionary and I had to look up words if I was confused.

This book is geared to mostly 8 and 9 year olds because the reading level is appropriate for that age and the topic would also be an interesting for them.

I think this book was very realistic because in the beginning, it seems like it would be a regular, normal middle school life. When I first saw this book I thought it was going to be choosing something over Another but it is whey more then that. My favorite character is James because he has the same name as me.

[David Natiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son read this for 7th grade class assignment, but he told me he liked it and I was curious. It's a nice slice-of-life book about a high-schooler that comes from a challenging, poor, mexican-american upbringing but has recently moved to a nicer area with his mom. He is a basketball player, and is playing for his new school... but there is friction from the coach (racial?) and struggle in his own mind about belonging with this new crowd at all.

The book is easy to read, well-targeted to a younger audience. It is a short book that doesn't get too much into descriptive text, but focuses on the story, thoughts and feelings of Lincoln, the main character. The book mixes in spanish phrases and life perspective in a conversational way, which I enjoyed. There is also definitions in the back if you wanted to look any terms up.

I gave it four stars for what it is and who it targets - probably those in 6-8th grade somewhere. It's easy reading should appeal to kids who aren't already reading much bigger books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, etc. It does feel rather short, however, if you're used to a much more in-depth story.

[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.

[Ms. Mielke's Class Make sure you post how your sheets tell you to!!!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lincoln Mendoza is a kid who used to play for a school in California called Franklin. In Franklin school there were fights. Lincoln and his mom decided to move out of there house because people kept breaking into their house and stealing items. So now Lincoln goes to a school called Columbus. Columbus and Franklin are rival schools. Lincoln has to play his old school in basketball. Lincoln hurt his knee playing basketball with a girl named Monica. Lincoln liked Monica. When Lincoln was playing Monica in a basketball game he tripped and hurt his knee very badly. Lincoln had his game coming up the next day against Franklin. When Lincoln saw that he was on the starting line up he decided he would tough his knee out, but when his knee hurt him so bad in practice, he had to sit down. Then his coach took him off the starting line up. You will have to read the book to see if Lincoln gets to play against his old team. TS

[Tracey Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel for a master's degree course on multicultural literature. The novel was a quick read, which may entice middle-grade readers, especially those who are reluctant readers, to take it on. The story centers around Lincoln, a young man in the 8th grade who plays basketball and has just recently moved from the city where he attended mostly Hispanic Franklin, MS, to the suburbs where he now attends Columbus, MS. Lincoln is torn and conflicted about whether he feels more like a part of his new school, where he is one of very few brown faces or his old school where things are rougher but where he has long-standing friendships and history. The novel includes a good amount of Spanish language dialogue, which makes it feel more authentic to the Hispanic culture. Some of the references are a bit dated, but for a book written in 1991, it will still appeal to middle-grade students, especially boys who will enjoy it as a quick read.