Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old boy, struggles with right and wrong in a society within which he feels he is an outsider. He and his brothers, lower-class "greasers," fight the "Socs," the rich kids, for 14 days.

Social issues gaining notice in the '60s -- teen pregnancy, underage drinking, and violence -- still find relevance among S.E. Hinton's readers today.