Read Banned Books: The Outsiders
- Dan
- Dec 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Read Banned Books
Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts!
Previous entries in this series:
The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton is a genius. Back in 1967, she penned a yarn of friendship, loyalty, and rebelliousness that even the reluctant readers of today love. My older son, an eighth grader at the time, read The Outsiders for English class. He was blown away by the tale of rival gangs, bad behavior, and most importantly, friendship. He readily identified with the concept of rival cliques and the bonds of loyalty, even love, found within friend groups. He proclaimed the book the best he'd ever read. He's a high school freshman now, but I think he still holds the book in high esteem.
What is almost as amazing as the fact that he loves the book is that not so long ago, he might not have been allowed to read it in school. In the 1990s, The Outsiders ranked 38th on the list of most challenged books in the country. 38! A book written in the 60s about teenagers! Reasons given are drug use, smoking, gang violence, and general rebellious behavior. Still, we're not talking about anything even close to the gratuitous sex and violence found on streaming services and the TV stations of today. Even by the standards of the 1990s, the bad behavior depicted in the book is relatively tame, and the novel is certainly something middle school and high school students should be allowed access to no ifs, ands, or buts. The same is true of every other book under the sun.
I think the real reason The Outsiders has been challenged and banned over the years isn't for the smoking and drinking, youth violence, or antisocial behavior depicted on the pages. The author's real sin in the eyes of the banners is humanizing Pony Boy and the other rebellious characters. You see, it's easier to wield power and control over a group if you dehumanize them first and keep that foremost in your mind in all dealings with them.
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