The Outsiders

The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton

Yes, The Outsiders again!  We just can't get enough of it at our house.  It seems we have been living in 1965 Tulsa around here lately.  My son had to read The Outsiders as a companion piece to his required reading book this past nine weeks.  He loved the book.  He has now chosen to use it as the subject of a book talk and a literary essay. He has read it twice in the last month.  And, with every page turned, he has some new insight to share with me.  This book, written over 40 years ago by a 15 year old girl, has changed by son's view on people and how they can be judged.

If you haven't read this book, I would say it is a must.  My memory tells me I read it as a youngster, but it is possible I just saw the movie, which was released in 1983.  (We watched it last night.  The actors, the best looking boys of my youth, looked like babies.  Was I ever that young?)  I did read it this past month with my son and I was struck by the beauty of its simple prose.  I love that a boy is so sensitive and aware.  I love even more that, because of Ponyboy, my son now feels he has permission to be just as sensitive and aware.  The arc of each of the characters tells young people that we are all able to change dramatically, no matter what our circimstances.  It also reminds us that we are all people first.  Labels like "soc" and "greaser" come later and have little to do with who we are on the inside.

If you are living with an 11 year old or better, I must recommend this novel to you.  I am sure you will dig out lessons that we have yet to find.  Please let me know what you think.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders
by S.e. Hinton

The best writers are also readers.  There is nothing better than reading along in a well written novel and finding an allusion to another piece of great literature.  It makes me feel like a member of a secret club.  Teachers will call it a text-to-text connection-I simply call it cool!

Miller and I are reading, S.E. Hinton's, The Outsiders.  We are both finding some of the slang difficult to navigate.  As an example, the characters are regularly stating the fact that they need "a weed."  This is a cigarette, apparently, but that took some time to figure out.  This compelling tale, told by 14 year old Ponyboy, has absolutely captured our attention.  The tragic incidences of the boys' lives make it hard to read, but the lessons are great.

Yesterday, we came across the sentence, "he smiled like a chessy cat."  Miller asked, "It that some more slang I don't understand?"  I answered, "Perhaps, but why not take another look and see if you can understand the phrase."  "I guess it could be slang for a big smile like the Cheshire Cat."  And just like that, this dedicated reader had broken the code and was admitted to the secret club.  Here, Hinton had given a nod to the great Lewis Carroll and his classic Alice in Wonderland.  If you just quickly read the dialogue,you would understand the plot, if not the sentence.  But this reader, not only came to understand the reference, he developed a deeper connection to the author.

Can you think of a great allusion you have come across that made you think to yourself-Cool?