The Outsiders Stays Gold

YA READS:
Hinton, S.E. (1967). The outsiders. New York: Penguin. ISBN: 0-14-240733-X; paperback; $10.00.

Ponyboy Curtis is growing up as the youngest of three brothers in what we can imagine is Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1960s. With the death of the Curtis parents, his brother Darry is forced to raise his younger brothers, and their situation is often grim. Ponyboy is a Greaser, part of a group of boys who don’t have much money, live on the wrong side of town, and like getting into just the right amount of trouble. But a conflict with some rival Socs actually turns Ponyboy into a murder accomplice, and he and his victim-perpetrator friend Johnny must go on the run. The story follows the two as they grapple with the burden of having killed another teen, and of living a life less than what they hoped for. When their hideout location catches fire, Pony and Johnny have the chance to redeem themselves by saving some young children caught in the blaze. However, Johnny’s heroism costs him his life. Losing parents and friends, watching more violence and bad choices turn his pals into crime statistics, Ponyboy finally comes to realize that the solution is for him to “tell their side of the story, and maybe people would understand then and wouldn’t be so quick to judge.” This full circle novel is Hinton’s way of showing how teens on the fringe can mature into citizens capable of empathy and acceptance.

This novel has reached classic status after close to fifty years of publication. Adoring teen readers of both genders have discovered the delight of page after page of their stories, brought alive through these rag-tag characters. While some of the language has changed, and this novel doesn’t include the same forms of entertainment that teens enjoy today, the prevailing themes and issues are inherently the same. Cliques and divisions, the yearning to fit in and have more, the dissonance between what teens and their authority figures want – all of these motifs stand the test of time. This book should be present on the shelves of any school library or public library with teen titles. Stay gold, indeed, Ponyboy – this novel is the gold standard for classic titles. Recommended for grades 7-12.

AWARDS (According to S.E. Hinton's personal website):
* New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
* Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967
* Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
* ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975
* Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979 

HOMEMADE TEES:

Most of the tees you'll see in conjunction with this book will have the classic line, "Stay Gold Ponyboy."  There are several available on Etsy.  However, a real fan might go a step further and get the tee with Dally's famous line from both the book and movie, "Let's do it for Johnny!" Either way - show your love for The Outsiders by dressing like a greaser and catching a drive-in movie.

Caribouchick. (n.d.). Yellow,
stay gold, Ponyboy
[digital image]. Retrieved October 1,
2016 from https://www.etsy.com/shop/
caribouchic?ref=l2-shopheader-name 

 

AmericanHeyday. (n.d.).
The outsiders do it for
Johnny [digital image]. Retrieved
October 1, 2016 from https://www.etsy.com/
shop/AmericanHeyday?ref=l2-shopheader-name  

Mrs. Scott - the greaser school librarian.

WANT MORE?  There's a movie!  Originally released in 1983, and then re-released in 2005 with extra footage and updated music, the film holds true to the book.  Plus, it stars many famous actors in their younger days: Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, and more!