Many writers, like Susan Eloise Hinton, have focused on teenage problems in society. Sometimes, writers develop novels from personal experiences and/or from observations in their environment. S.E. Hinton grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa is the setting for all of her novels. "Tulsa is a classic American city. It's got the river, the old railroad, the 'good side' and the 'bad side.' It's got the new high rises downtown, and the half …showed first 75 words of 1587 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1587 total…violence among our teenagers." S.E. Hinton's book The Outsiders is still read by teens today because the problems the characters faced are similar to the ones our teens still face in today's society. Representative George Miller of California, chairman of the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, states, "Regardless of where they live, most youths aren't violent, and given a choice, they would rather not live in a world of guns, drugs, and death."