Young adult literature has captivated readers since its birth as a genre in 1967. Through his novel The Outsiders, Hinton discovered and defined YA literature creating a timeless story that captured the world of teenagers with the honesty and skill with which it recreates the harsh reality of the world in which they must grow up. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Outsiders, considered one of the first children's novels, has maintained its relevance and is still widely read in the 21st century. In 2001, The Outsiders ranked No. 2 on its list of best-selling children's paperbacks of all time, according to Publisher's Weekly. This is surprising for a book first published in the 1960s and which initially did not sell well. So what happened to endear this book to millions of readers in the 21st century? In his article “Institutionalizing The Outsiders: YA Literature, Social Class, and the American Faith in Education,” Tribunella explores the question of why The Outsiders, an unusual book for its times, was so readily accepted by educational institutions, though not by adult readers. of time. According to him, the reason teachers accepted the book is because “The Outsiders” offers solutions to the problems it describes by advocating individualism and American education. This resonated with the philosophy of the baby boom generation, disarming critics and opening the door to a new literary genre. However, something completely different endeared this book to young adults who continued to read it. The official publication of the Young Adult Library Services Association discusses this in detail in an article titled "The Structure of Power in Problematic Young Adult Novels." Sturm and Michel define "problem novels" as a subgenre of contemporary realistic fiction, in other words young adult literature. They quote Sheila Egoff who says that a problem novel is one in which the protagonist is burdened by anxiety and other problems resulting from an alienation from the adult world to which the protagonist is usually hostile, has a confessional tone, and is usually written in first person using colloquial language. All this applies to The Outsiders. Ponyboy is dealing with the pain of his parents, who are hostile towards his older brother, convinced that he does not love him, and has the constant fear that the police or social workers will take him away from his family (Hinton, 1967:91). . In addition to this, the book also deals with themes such as violence, love, relationships, social class, and identity, all of which are common to YA literature. Another element common to YA literature and problem novels is that they reflect and explore the angst that teenagers face. face a period full of changes and emotional upheavals. According to Sturm and Michel, this is precisely what fuels the power of problem novels. These angsty novels serve as a window for adults into the adolescent world and provide a place of understanding for the roller-coaster teenager. The characters in The Outsiders, especially the Greaters, are not afraid to show their emotions, and the novel itself is touching and, at times, tragically sad. In fact, Ponyboy believes this is what distinguishes the plague spreaders from the socs. Talking to Cherry on the way home after the movie, he tells her, “That's why we're separated. It's not money, it's feelings: you feel nothing and we feel too violently.' He describes socs as aloof, cold, practical and impersonal and believes this is the real division between them. Ponyboy describes.