Does that author look familiar? It should, since you’ve probably been assigned to read The Outsiders in about every English class since 6th grade. But did you also know that Hinton wrote other books about guys on the outs? Tex, our title hero, is just trying to get through life with as little conflict as possible, despite the fact that his dad is never around, he’s in love with his best friend’s sister, and his big brother just sold his horse. It may sound corny as a Garth Brooks song, but it’s not. There’s just enough rodeo grit in this story to make it real, and I promise you won’t fall off. (I could date myself by linking to the book cover with Matt Dillon on it, who starred in the cheesy but heartfelt Disney movie version, but I’ll save both you and me the humiliation!)