An S. E. Hinton Collection: The Outsiders & That Was Then, This is Now

More than 30 years after they were published, S.E. Hinton's award-winning novels, The Outsiders and That Was Then, This Is Now, are as profoundly affecting as ever. With generation after generation growing up amid violence and angst, these classics continue to be relevant in their exploration of some of the harsh realities of youth. Now brought together in one handsome volume, the two titles are available for the many fans who finish one of Hinton's novels already champing at the bit for the next one.

In The Outsiders, Ponyboy Curtis and his brothers struggle to stay together after losing both parents. The road is uphill, especially for Greasers like them, kids from the wrong side of the tracks--at least according to the Socs, or Socials, jet-setting rich kids from the west side of town. Ponyboy finds himself in big trouble when his friend Johnny kills a Soc in self-defense, but it's nothing like the trouble they're heading for when they run away. That Was Then, This Is Now addresses more kids on the outskirts of society. Bryon and Mark--buddies, almost brothers--are from the same neighborhood as Ponyboy and his gang. While the war between Greasers and Socs has subsided somewhat, drugs have entered their world with a vengeance, and the closeness between Bryon and Mark is in the balance. Both novels are heartbreaking, touching, and brutal; neither should be missed. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter