Read this when
The Outsiders
Being tough on the outside and soft on the inside isn't a flaw. Johnny said it best: 'Stay gold, Ponyboy.' ✨
Who it's for
Ponyboy's first-person voice, sensitive and bookish inside a tough 'greaser' crowd, lets readers who feel boxed in by class or reputation see their inner life reflected.
Angry→Understood
Feelings it meets
What it is
S. E. Hinton's 1967 novel is narrated by Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old 'greaser' in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma, caught in a rivalry with the wealthier 'Socs'. When his friend Johnny kills a Soc in self-defence during an attack, the two boys hide in an abandoned church in Windrixville.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla where licensed) and as an ebook and an unabridged audiobook.
Before you start
Heads up: Teen deaths and gang violence.
Age: Ages 12+
I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery, Chapter II
