The Outsiders
The Outsiders is a novel by Susan Eloise (S.E.) Hinton first published in 1967 by Viking Press. Hinton was 15 when she began writing the novel[1] and 17 when it was published. The Outsiders is the life story of fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Michael Curtis. Hinton explores a multitude of themes throughout the story, such as friendship, and coming of age, by following two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs (pronounced "soashes" by the author, short for Socials), who are separated by status.
The Outsiders is ranked on the American Library Association's top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990[2] and 38th on their 1990-1999 list.[3] The book was challenged in South Milwaukee because of its portrayal of violence, language, drug and alcohol abuse, underage smoking, and the fact that "virtually all the characters were from broken homes"[citation needed].
