The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a well-written coming of age story about a young man named Ponyboy Curtis. He lives with his two older brothers. The oldest, Darry, is taking care of the younger two since their parents died in a car accident. They live on the poorer side of town, but get by and have the support of their group of friends, Steve, Two-Bit, Dally, and Johnny.

Ponyboy and Johnny are close, being the youngest two, and one night, after helping out a couple of girls from the rich side of town after Dally was rude to them, get in trouble with the girls' boyfriends. When the boys try to dunk Ponyboy under the water of a fountain, Johnny, certain they're trying to drown him, does what he feels he has to do, to save his friend's life. This begins a difficult and uncertain journey for the two friends. It's a great book about growing up, friendship, and struggling to make your way in the world.