S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" Still Stands Strong

I'm not sure what I was expecting from The Outsiders.  I hate to admit that I wasn't as blown away or thoroughly engaged as I thought - and hoped - I would be.  I think that this is due to a combination of things:  the book had been hyped up so much in my mind as a "must-read classic" and I had a very different idea of the plot from what it actually is,  I found the "lingo" of the times more distracting than engaging and, sadly, I think that in this day and age the situations in the book really don't seem that radical, shocking or graphic. 

All of that being said, there is no doubt in my mind that The Outsiders is an outstanding piece of literature and it is easy to see why it has stood the test of time and is still relevant over 40 years after it was written!  While it might not be my personal favorite book, I love this book for the simple fact that it was written at all and changed the face of YA Lit with a story that gave teens a real voice.  It's also undeniable how much of a powerful impact it has made - and continues to make - on people of all ages.

It is even more incredible and poignant that the author wrote the novel at the age of fifteen - and the author is a girl!  I think that both of these points give the novel even more weight and legitimacy.  Teenagers don't like phonies and they can see right through things that aren't genuine.  This book is undeniably the real deal in every way imaginable:  the issues the characters deal with, their way of thinking and viewing the world, the way they speak and express themselves, and their struggle to define themselves as individuals in a world that doesn't really let you be yourself.  Sound familiar?

This edition has some great extras included and provides an interview with S.E. Hinton and a helpful discussion guide for educators to use in their classrooms.  I was particularly moved by the forward to the novel, where S.E. Hinton humbly acknowledges the wide-reaching impact of the novel but takes very little credit for it:

"The letters saying "I loved the book" are good, the ones that say " I never liked to read before, and now I read all the time" are better, but the ones that say "The Outsiders changed my life" and "I read it fifteen years ago and I realize how much it has influenced my life choices" frankly scare me...A lot of the time I feel that The Outsiders was meant to be written, and I was chosen to write it.  it's certainly done more good than anything I could accomplish on a personal level."

And that, in essence, is the reason why I would answer "yes" to both including this novel in my personal classroom library and probably include it in my curriculum.  You really can't ask for a more perfect answer to the YA Lit prayer.