The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Title: The Outsiders 

Author: S.E. Hinton

Publisher: Speak

Release date: November 1997

Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 978-0140385724

Summary:

Amazon:

"According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967"

http://www.amazon.com/Outsiders-S-Hinton/dp/014038572X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288630771&sr=1-1

In the classroom:

This book shows a different sort of multiculturalism that is still just as important to put into the classroom as the others.  Socioeconomic status and different "cliques" of friends are highlighted in this book and that is something that kids deal with on a daily basis in the school systems.  The story is relatable and applicable to the students lives, especially in the years of middle school when they are going through their self discovery.