Molly+M.

3rd block

McFarland, Kevin. "The Much-banned YA Novel The Outsiders Turns Clunky Prose into Deep Emotion." //AV Club Live//. A.V Club, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.

The Outsiders was written by S.E. Hinton in 1967 about the lives of gangs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The outsiders was banned from public schools today because of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, and dysfunctional family life. Johnny’s family is the prime example of a dysfunctional family; his parents drink and treat him poorly every night. The Curtis boys must fend for themselves to stay alive since their parents died in a car crash. Although The Outsiders does surface controversial matters this book should not be band. S.E Hinton is a fantastic writer and the way she conveys the lives and strife between the Greasers and Socs does not seem barbaric, but rather plays in your head the struggles of all and teaches you life lessons.

"The Outsiders (novel)." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

The Outsiders was ranked number thirty-eight on the American Library Association’s Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999. This book has been banned from some schools and libraries because of the portrayal of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, and strong language and family dysfunction. In many schools today The Outsiders is part of the curriculum.

Baldassarro, Wolf R. "Banned Books Awareness." //Banned Books Awareness//. Deep Forest Productions, 8 May 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

The Boone, Iowa school district banned The Outsiders because parents believed it glamorized underage drinking and smoking. The school district also pleaded that the Outsiders had excessive violence and obscenities. In 2001 The Outsiders was challenged at George Washington Middle School in West Virginia due to objections against gang violence. The Outsiders should not be banned because the title is the theme itself; it shows how life is when you are on the “outside”.

Young-Turner, Cindy. "Katie O'Sullivan." //: Banned Book: The Outsiders//. N.p., 2 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

The Outsiders was banned because of its realistic portrayal of 1960’s gang violence and family dysfunction. In addition, the Outsiders was banned because of underage smoking and drinking. Readers want the books they read to reflect the world around them, dysfunctional families and gang violence is still present today. Just because S.E. Hinton didn’t sugarcoat issues doesn’t mean the book should be banned.

Curcelli, Guilia. "Banning Books Unfair and Ignorant." //Saratoga Falcon//. Falcon Online, 15 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders was banned in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin due to the characters’ excessive drinking and smoking, plus dysfunctional families. The Outsiders promotes self-sufficiency and close friendships and warns against the danger of violence. Also, this book follows Ponyboy’s quest in fitting in and searing for belonging.