I read this book when I was 10 and couldn't put it down. I think I read it ten times in a row that summer. I can't say what drove me to obsess about it so much, but I did love it. Every one of the characters touched me, and it taught me a lot about the differences in social classes and what life would be like without parents. It was such a revelation when I used to try to dress as a greaser with my jean jacket, etc., and my mom told me I was really a Soc! Great learning moment in my life. My brother was reading it for school in 7th grade, so that's why I had my hands on it in 5th. I do think today we protect our kids a little more, so I would wait until my kids were 12 or so before introducing it to them.

Yes, the rumble scene is greatly decsribed and there is other mild violence throughout the book, but overall, it's a wonderful read. I still enjoy reading it myself and with two boy who hate reading, it's a hit. The story, though written in a different era, speaks to all generations in some way and kids of today can relate with the themes mentioned.

Keep away from kids not in seventh grade. It has gang violence, cussing, guns, knives, the main character smokes, does drugs, innapropriate sexual content, kids get drunk. Tries to promote cigarettes!

THE OUTSIDERS was a mandatory part of my kids' English corriculum, so I read it too. I came away from the book glad I read it, which was not what I would have told you if you had asked me any earlier in the book. Indeed, the book is slow and average until the last 50 pages or so. But those last 50 pages are perfect: profoundly moving, engaging, and thought-provoking. So, with a bad beginning, middle, but one heck of an end, THE OUTISDERS is a decent book. There are some "d**mit"s and maybe one "h*ll". Sex is minor, with some mild inneundos and one brief reference to an unwed pregnancy. Violence is intense, though, with a lot of fights and some graphic depictions of injury. Some parts of the book can be emotionally draining.

One of the first things I saw when I came across The Outsiders page on this website I saw this sentence... "This is far from great literature..." and wondered "Where in the world did they get that from?". This has always been my favorite book and I don't understand how anyone could not see it that way. The story is engrossing and pulls you in magnetically to every single character. It is a brilliant portrayal of teen life in the "rough" side of town in the 1960's. For some unknown reason adults see that a book is about teenagers in trouble or in gangs and keep that mindset throughout the whole book. Instead of seeing the lessons learned and the moral battles fought they see the faults and mistakes of the characters. Instead of seeing the heroic deeds of a underestimated punk, they see the violence that the boy has been involved in. Nevertheless what some people may think this is a brillant and fulfilling book. I recommend it for anyone and everyone.

This book describes the life of day to day life in a gang, violence and more. But it also depicts the life of the main character Ponyboy, a smart boy in a gang. Now that doesn't really make any sense, does it, but when you hear of his past, you see that his gang isn't so much as a gang but more as a family. It also describes the other boys in the gang. Johnny, an unwilling victim of beatings from his father, the gang helps him through and stops him leaving them several times, not mentioned in detail. Dally imprioned at the age of ten, he had never seen anything, but drugs and violence in his life. As the book progresses the background of these characters unfolds and explains why they have such a life. If they had just been taught, or something had not happened in their past, they might have been normal well kempt teens. This story also shows how it is to be poor and live on the east side of town, discriminated and jumped by the rich teens who live on the west. One day the bullying just gets to a life threatening position, so 16 year old Johnny just does what he has to, to save his friend's life, but in the end Johnny kills the rich, bullying, west side living, soc, a name used by the east side kids to seperate the east side from the west side, and the east side's are all called by the west side's greasers. Johnny and Ponyboy are on the run from the cops, Dally, the street smart guy gives them money, a plan, and a hide out in an old church. The story tumbles from there. One day the church was having a picnic and when Ponyboy and Johnny come back they realize that one of them was careless with their cigarettes, and the whole church was blazing. Their were several children still stuck inside, so Ponyboy and Johnny, did the only thing they could, think of, they ran into the church, they got all the children out, but Ponyboy and Johnny got a bad blow. Dally jumped in just in time to save Ponyboy, but the roof had caved in on Johnny burning and breaking his back. Johnny was slowly weakening in the hospital where they were taken, how could Ponyboy learn to survive the loss of a friend, maybe more if Dally learns that Johnny is dying. Johnny was the only thing Dally could ever learn to love, like a younger brother, Johnny was the only one who could get away with talking back to Dally. But when Dally learns the only thing he made room in his heart of ice to love, how will Dally get through? Read on.

Ah, my favorite book in the world. However, it's not for kids. Well, not little kids. I first read this when I was 13 (which was about seven years ago) and I fell in love. This book has lots of violence and adult themes, but it is superbly written. If you've got this book, don't let the little kiddies find it, but teens will love it. (Especially teenage girls! ^o^)