The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton

Published when author S. E. Hinton was just 18 years old, The Outsiders has been a staple of school syllabi and a student favorite for over 40 years!

Told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis, The Outsiders follows the story of two rival gangs – the Greasers and the Socs - who are divided by their socioeconomic status. While the Socs are higher class and considered a wealthy gang, the Greasers are exactly as they sound – passionate, rough-and-tumble street boys who fight for survival and look out for one another.

A heroic story of friendship and belonging, The Outsiders offers a gritty, tension-filled drama with a truthful edge to it – very different than most coming-of-age stories out there. Though despite its darkness, the novel has a vulnerable side - just as Ponyboy does, just as all the gang members do. Faced with life-changing events within the novel, Ponyboy goes through a radical transformation – one that has had readers hooked for generations.