The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton. Speak, c1967. 180 pages.

Plot:

Narrated by Ponyboy Curtis, a shy, fourteen-year-old boy, The Outsiders depicts the rivalry between the Greasers and the Socs (short for Socials), two groups separated by their socioeconomic status. Ponyboy, his two older brothers, and their tight-knit group of friends are Greasers. When Ponyboy and Johnny (his best friend among the gang) are jumped one night by a group of Socs, Johnny winds up killing one of them. The incident opens Ponyboy’s eyes to the fact that the warring groups really aren’t that different.

Review/personal thoughts:

Though The Outsiders was written and takes place in the 1960’s, I consider it an appropriate addition to a core contemporary realistic fiction collection for tweens as the material isn’t dated. Written when Hinton was just sixteen, the novel tackles issues that are still relevant today.  

For example, tweens will relate to the characters’ need to belong. Though Ponyboy and his friends consider themselves outsiders, they find comfort in their “Greaser” label. Hinton’s characters initially define themselves according to their Greaser or Soc status. In the end, however, they begin to recognize their similarities, in spite of their differences; “Socs were just guys after all. Things were rough all over, but it was better that way. That way you could tell the other guy was human too” (Hinton, 1967, p.118). 

The Outsiders also touches upon such other relevant subjects as friendship, family relationships, and loss. 

Genre: contemporary realistic fiction

Reading level: ages 10-up 


Awards: 

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

The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye by Bonnie Shimko

Shimko, B. (2010). The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York.

Plot

  Amelia has a mother who hates her, an older brother and sister who have never bothered to meet her, a father who ran off with a younger girl, and absolutely no friends. When Amelia meets Fancy Nelson for the first time, she knows that she has found her first true friend. The fact that Fancy is African American means nothing to Fancy, but unfortunantley, it means a whole lot to The rest of the world in the 1960's. 

  Readers follow the begiining of the beautiful friendship between Fancy and Amelia and the different layers of family and friendship. When Amelia's grandfather suffers a stroke she is left with absolutley nothing to hold onto except for her friend Fancy and Fancy's mysterious neighbor next door. 

Review

  This book was my first love of 2011. The story is so simple, yet so powerful when readers are taken through the turmoil of the 1960's and the terrible upbringing of Amelia E. Rye. Despite this, Amelia is a tween's heroine. She is a smart, fiesty, and determined kid who shoots for the moon regardless of the cards that are stacked against her. Bonnie Shimko brilliantly weaves her cast of characters to develop the instrict storyline into the central theme. A must read of 2011. 

Genre

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Interest Level

Tween/ 9-12 years/ 4th - 7th grade

Similar Books

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Awards

The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye was included in the American Library Association's "2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults. 

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Rules.Cynthia Lord. Scholastic Press: N.Y., c2006. 200 pages.


"Sometimes I wish someone would invent a pill so David'd wake up one morning without autism, like someone from a long coma, and he'd say "Jeez, Catherine, where have I been?" And he'd be a regular brother like Melissa has -- a brother who would give back as much as he took, who I could joke with, even fight with (Lord, 2006, p8)."


Plot/ Description:

Twelve year- old Catherine is both protective and embarrassed by her younger brother David, who is autistic. Catherine is often left to watch over David and she feels neglected by her parents. In order to prepare her brother for life, Catherine creates a list of rules for him to follow. Some of the rules are very basic, but others reveal Catherine’s anxieties. When Kristy moves in next door, Catherine is excited to make a new friend and anxious about how she will react to David. Catharine is also uncomfortable about her growing friendship with 14 year- old Jason, who is paraplegic. Jason uses a word- book to communicate and Catherine enjoys making new word cards for him. However when Jason invites her to the community center dance, Catharine refuses because she has a rule about not dancing. Jason makes her realize that many of her rules are excuses. Catherine learns to let go of her embarrassment and joins Jason at the dance.

Review: Rules is a story about a girl learning to let go of the concept of “normal.” Catherine is wracked with anxiety whenever David interacts with anyone outside of her family. Catherine’s mother reminds her that real friends understand that her brother is different, but this wisdom does not penetrate Catherine’s worried heart. Catherine must also confront her anxieties about difference with her friend Jason. It upsets Jason that she draws him without a wheelchair because she is covering up his disability. The novel explores the subjects of autism, children’s rules, normalcy, personal conduct, embarrassment, people with disabilities and social acceptance. Catharine creates rules to protect David in social situations, but she also uses rules to protect herself from embarrassment. Catharine is forced to either let go of her rules or lose Jason as friend. The book characterizes the ways embarrassment can cause people to betray themselves. I think this story explains that "normal" is what we deal with everyday, and it isn't based on what other people think.

Personal Thoughts: "Fitting- in" is very important to tweens. Tweens are marketed to more and more in today's society, because it is important to tweens to model the attitude and style of their heroes.  In Rules, Catherine feels like she doesn't fit- in  with her peers because her brother has autism. Her rules are an attempt to control her brothers behavior, working to shield her from embarrassment, or- not fitting- in. But her rules actually alienate her from her friends and she decided to stop worrying about what other people think. This message is meaningful for tweens who fear embarrassment and it also teaches tweens to accept who they are and to accept people with disabilities as peers.

This award winning book is a core piece of Contemporary Realistic Fiction because it deals with the contemporary issue of autism, which is a growing concern everyday, as it explores the ways autism affects families. Children with disabled siblings will relate to Catherine’s simultaneous love and frustration for her brother and they will learn with Catherine that being a good friend is more important than being normal. In addition, the story is valuable for children without disabled family members and friends because it advocates for acceptance of disabled people.

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction


Reading Level: Age 9- 12

Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books- Middle Readers Category: 2007

Buckeye Children’s Book Award (Ohio): Grades 6- 8
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan): Grades 6- 8
Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award (New Hampshire)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award: Grades 6- 8
Maine Student Book Award
Mitten Award (Michigan)
Schneider Family Book Awards: Middle School (ages 11- 13)
Newbery Honor Book, 2007