Reader's Guide to Gary Soto's Taking Sides

Series: Multicultural Literature

On the surface, this book appears to be a novel with a simple plot: What happens when a junior high basketball player essentially goes from rags to riches. Yet the plotlines in the book also deal with bigger issues, such as divorce, cultural differences, poverty, and violence. Indeed, this book has truly resonated with all types of audiences across backgrounds of age and ethnicity.