The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is assigned in US schools at grades 7–9, with a Lexile measure of 750L. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 4 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Outsiders is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 750L
- Grade range
- Grades 7–9
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 6–8 band (925–1185L)
- Age range
- Ages 12–15
- Pages
- 192
- Reading time
- about 3h 30m (est.)
- First published
- 1967
- Genre
- Young Adult Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780142407332
Reading difficulty: At 750L, The Outsiders reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.
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About this book
Ponyboy Curtis, a fourteen-year-old member of a 1960s Oklahoma gang called the Greasers, tells the story of a violent rivalry with the wealthier Socs. Written by Hinton when she was a teenager, the novel is often one of the first serious works of fiction assigned in middle school and remains a staple of 7th and 8th grade.
Why widely assigned
This Young Adult Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 7–9. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on class conflict and friendship; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
class conflict · friendship · loyalty · family · violence · identity
Content notes
gang violence · knife violence · death of teens · smoking · underage drinking
Common Sense Media recommends age 12+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended·7th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 exemplar
- recommended·7th grade · Texassource: TEKS grade 7 frequently taught text
- recommended·8th grade · Californiasource: CA CCSS ELA grade 8 aligned reading
- recommended·8th grade · Floridasource: FL B.E.S.T. summer-reading list — rising 8th grade
- recommended·8th grade · Michigansource: Michigan ELA Standards grade 8 aligned reading
Similar grade-level books
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury · 890L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
See all books like The Outsiders→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Outsiders?
- The Outsiders is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–9, with a Lexile measure of 750L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Outsiders?
- The Outsiders has a Lexile measure of 750L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read The Outsiders?
- It takes about 3h 30m to read The Outsiders (192 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 210 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is The Outsiders hard to read for 7th grade?
- At 750L, The Outsiders reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- What curricula assign The Outsiders?
- The Outsiders appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 750L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 7–9 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 4 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: summer.