Dear Teachers,
Read this featured essay that appears in the TIMES Book Review today. Hinton published this best-selling YA title of all time when she was 17. That was the year I graduated from college!
Dale Peck does a nice job with his “intertextual musings.” You’ll all find plenty of familiar references here. Jerry, take note!
Let’s take a blog poll..who has NOT read “The Outsiders?” It’s ok to admit it. Let’s remedy that this semester. KES
P.S. You can download this and other reviews in the TIMES to your iPod. Click into “Books” and you’ll see the review icon with the podcast link.
Re-Reading English 
THE OUTSIDERS is a very interesting book. I read it a couple of years ago at my wife’s suggestion. Like most good books, it is “news that stays news.” Issues surrounding individual and group identities will always be a subject for thought, and gang violence has only escalated since the late 1960’s (I’m shocked it’s that old). A great read for late middle grades (grade 8 or 9).
J. Degan
PS- allusiveness isn’t the kind of thing I get into.
Yea, that old–you could say that about your professor as well then!
Did you read the review? I rather liked the allusions to other texts. Thought that would definitely be your thing J. KES
I’ll be the first to go ahead and admit it. I have not yet read The Outsiders. Its a book that I’ve heard about since I was in high school. It was on reading lists, but none of the lists for my classes.
The class that I am now observing for 505 read the book for summer reading, so I got to hear some of the discussion of it. That, along with this article, makes me want to read it. I’ll put it on my list, but I doubt I’ll get to it until winter break since I have so many other articles and books to read for class right now!
I didn’t read this book until last semester. In YA Lit, I’m pretty sure I was the only person who had not read it. So, at the end of the semester, I had a couple days before I went home. I picked up a copy and read it for the first time.
I agree with Jerry, as this book had many themes that I consider universal.
The review was great, and I recommend this book to everyone.
I can’t believe how many of you haven’t read the book until recently. I read it and watched the movie in high school, although I can not remember exactly what year. I always liked the story and its issues about class in our society are still relevant today. I think this is an important lesson to teach our students but at the same time think the kids may find it outdated. Does anyone know of any other YA books that tackle the same issues but take place in a more modern time period?
Suzanne
Suzanne and classmates, check out a new YA title, TYRELL, by Coe Booth in this School Library Journal review. I recommend it. KES
Well, I heard about ” The Outsiders” last term, and now I read this wonderful review. I become interested in it now. Suzanne mentioned the movie which will be the best way for me to “read” this novel since I have so many books and articles to read currently. I will soon find out if the library has a copy.
Dr. Stearns,
Tyrell sounds like a teenager’s struggling story. Imagine a boy who has a father in jail and a mother who did welfare fraud. Boy, he faces real life challenges at a young age. I think that the lower class people’s kids who live in the poor area can relate to Tyrell because many of their fathers are either in jail or absent. However, I prefer some sunshine story after my sickness. Laughter, sunshine, fresh air, and coffee are what I need most now.:) by L. L.
In response to your blog poll,
Yes! I have read the Outsiders! 🙂 -Sofia
I read “The Outsiders” years ago, as per the recommendation of my mom, who was having her 7th or 8th grade English class read it at the time. If plagiarism was under the microscope and the credibility of people’s writings were under scrutiny the way they are today, then I don’t think “The Outsiders” would have ever made it into the hands of tens of thousands of young adolescent readers. I absolutely loved the book, and would read it again now! ~Jessica