Taking Side by Gary Soto

Taking Sides by Gary Soto; 1991; Harcourt, Inc

Taking Sides is about a young Hispanic-American boy, named Lincoln Mendoza, whose family recently moved from a neighborhood within San Francisco to a majority White suburb over ten miles away. Lincoln must deal with the problems of adjusting to a new neighborhood that any eighth grader would face in addition to the complete culture shock of White suburbia. He must get used to the kids at his new school while at the same time trying to remain connected with his old friends. This balance is tested when the basketball team in which he plays on at his new school squares off in a league match against his old school, Franklin Middle.

A big idea throughout the novel is that of loyalty and how it should be distributed by a young adolescent in a new environment. Is it possible to be loyal to both your old school as well as your new school? Lincoln must grapple with playing for a new team while they compete against a team that he was a part of just a year ago. It doesn't help that he does not get a long with so of his teammates as well as his new coach. In addition, Lincoln struggles with issues of identity as he feels less and less connected with his old neighborhood and the Hispanic culture he grews up with.
This novel is certainly teachable within a middle school classroom. What I love about this story is that the characters and conflicts are universal but Soto does a great job of spicing up the story with the Hispanic culture of the characters. The problems that Lincoln faces however could be something that any eighth grader moving to a new neighborhood might encounter, regardless of their ethnicity or gender. The language is not overwhelming in any way and it is appropriate for a middle school audience.