That was Then, This is Now

For this reading check I have started the book That was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton. This book is not a direct sequel to The Outsiders but rather it takes place in the time after with different characters who reference the events of the book briefly. The main character of this book is a 16 year old named Bryon. Bryon's former best friend, Mark, and now adopted brother lives with him while there mother (Bryon's birth-mother) is in the Hospital. The first part of the book describes the community, the people and the time in which the story is set. I would recommend this book to anybody especially since we are coming up on the era in Social Studies. I would though recommend that they read The Outsider first but they do not need to. Bryon and Mark's world is one were gangs fight and kids drink and smoke and there is little to no adult supervision. Bryon and Mark have so far hustled people in a bar playing pool, beat up a few local hoods who were picking on there hippie friend M&M and visited there mother in the hospital. Growing up as poor as the brothers do is a challenge the must face daily as they fight to make wages.