The Outsiders

Title: The Outsiders


Author: S.E. Hinton


ISBN: 978-0670062515


Publisher: Viking Juvenile


Original copyright: 1967


This Version's copyright: 2007


 Plot Summary: This story follows 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis who lives with his brothers Darry and Sodapop. Ponyboy and his brothers and his friend Johnny are all members of a gang called the Greasers, which are kids that are poor and from the bad side of town. Them there is an opposing gang in their town called the Socs which is short for Socials, which are rich, preppy kids. Johnny and Ponyboy are hanging out at the drive-in one night when they become friends with two Soc girls, however, their Soc boyfriends thought they were trying to pick them up. Later, when Johnny and Ponyboy are walking alone late at night, they are jumped by the Soc girl's boyfriends, the fight gets very violent and Johnny and Ponyboy are forced to leave town. This story is about friendship, family, and how gang violence affects these.


Critical Evaluation: This book was written by S.E. Hinton when she herself was a teenager. This gives an interesting aspect to the teenage characters, and makes them more relatable. Ponyboy goes through issues that any young adult can relate to, like issues of not thinking his older brother loves him and feeling like an outsider. Even though this book was written in the 1960s about the 1950s, this book is a timeless classic.


Reader's Annotation:  After a gang fight gets unexpectedly violent, 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis and his best friend Johnny, are forced to leave town and the only family they have. This story follows Ponyboy as he re-evaluates life as a Greaser and his place in his family.




Genre:  Classic, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult


Author Information: S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was 16. She has other works most notably, That Was Then, This is Now. The Outsiders was made into a feature film in 1983, and S.E. Hinton worked on it, and even makes a brief cameo in the film. To learn more about S.E. Hinton go to www.sehinton.com


Book talks: family relationships, gang violence, social issues


Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 12-18.


Challenge: Profanity, gangs, violence. The gangs play a crucial role in the plot and profanity is used because that is the way teenagers speak. It also is necessary to the plot line. Finally the violence is a necessity to the plot and there is not violence within this book that serves no purpose to the overall plot line.


Why was this book chosen?: This was one of the first young adult books I read when I was in school.  I loved the book so much and formed an emotional connection with it from the time I finished the first sentence.