The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton

    THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  4/5/07
    Publisher:  Puffin
    Reviewed by:  Taylor Rector
    Rating:  5 Stars


    This is the story of the greasers and the Socs, the two social groups in the boys' town. The greasers are kind of a
    family of friends, because for most of them all they have is each other. The Socs are more violent and like to fight.
    They are the rich kids who have things that the greasers can only dream of. They fight every once in a while -- but
    one night someone takes it too far.

    From that point on the story surrounds the two boys who are on the run from the “fuzz” (police). The story is told
    from the viewpoint of Ponyboy Curtis, who is a fourteen-year-old greaser. He has two brothers, Darry Curtis and
    Sodapop Curtis. Their parents were killed a few years back, but the courts let them stay together as long as they
    stayed out of trouble.

    This book is about so much more than the cliché of popular boys vs. loser boys. There are feelings and characters
    that you want to see succeed. That’s what makes this book different from all the others, in a good way of course.

    I liked that the characters seemed so real, like you really knew them! I love it when a book is like that. There are
    internal conflicts with many of the characters as well as the good vs. evil aspect. Everyone in eighth grade should
    be required to read this book!