The Outsiders

Bibliography: Hinton, S.E. (1997). The outsiders. New York: Puffin.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13-18

Reader's Annotation: Ponyboy is fourteen and a Greaser, always ready to rumble with the Socs to defend his own. That is, until his best friend and fellow Greaser, Johnny, kills a Soc by accident and he and Ponyboy have to go on the run, making Ponyboy question the wisdom behind his prejudices.

Author: Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 22, 1950. Hinton wrote her first book, The Outsiders, while she was a sophomore at Will Rogers High School in Tulsa and based it on rival gangs at her school. It was then published by Viking in 1967 and is credited as being one of the most influential novels of YA lit in history. Hinton has written several additional novels, including some titles for children.

Plot Summary: "According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser." (Synopsis, sehinton.com)

Critical Evaluation: As with most Literary Fiction, this novel's pacing is very slow. Ponyboy pauses frequently to detail the history and personalities of almost every character he introduces readers too, but that is the novel's power. The setting and plot are both secondary to the narrator's thoughts and feelings about them, and Ponyboy is the perfect vehicle to guide readers through the thought-provoking material he describes. He is observant, intelligent, and introspective. In addition, Hinton's prose is smooth while still sounding perfectly authenticate for Ponyboy, a poor boy from the wrong side of town.

Curriculum Ties:

Book Talk Ideas:
• focus on what it means to be a Greaser
• focus no Ponyboy's relationship with Soda Pop and the rest of the gang
• adapt the scene of the rumble
• adapt a scene from the church

Challenge Issues: violence, cursing

Challenge Defense:
• Be familiar with context of issues
• Explain library selection policies
• Provide reviews of the book from reputable sources
• Explain library challenge procedures
• Offer challenge form

Why was this text included in this project? This book is regularly included on school reading lists, but I’d never read it before. This was a chance to become familiar with it.