Plot Summary

Choosing Up Sides

John H. Ritter
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Choosing Up Sides

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1998

Book Brief

John H. Ritter

Choosing Up Sides

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1998
Book Details
Pages

176

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Ohio • 1920s

Publication Year

1998

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

10-14 years

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Super Short Summary

Choosing Up Sides follows thirteen-year-old Luke Bledsoe, who moves with his family to Ohio in 1921, where he grapples with his strict, preacher father who forbids him from playing his favorite sport, baseball. Luke secretly plays, discovering his talent, while learning to challenge his father's irrational beliefs and develop his own progressive values. The novel depicts physical and verbal abuse.

Contemplative

Inspirational

Emotional

Challenging

Heartwarming

Reviews & Readership

4.1

410 ratings

68%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

John H. Ritter's Choosing Up Sides receives praise for its poignant portrayal of a young boy's moral and religious conflicts amid the backdrop of 1920s America. The character development and historical setting are well-received. Criticisms focus on the predictability of the plot and occasional slow pacing. Overall, it offers a moving and thoughtful read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Choosing Up Sides?

Ideal for middle school readers, fans of historical and sports fiction, and those who enjoyed Jackie & Me by Dan Gutman. Choosing Up Sides by John H. Ritter combines 1920s baseball with themes of family, faith, and overcoming adversity, appealing to lovers of Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.

4.1

410 ratings

68%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

176

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Ohio • 1920s

Publication Year

1998

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

10-14 years

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