Rumble Fish

Look inside
Paperback
$10.99 US
On sale Aug 06, 2013 | 144 Pages | 9780385375689

From the author of the international bestseller The Outsiders comes a "stylistically superb" novel that "packs a punch that will leave readers of any age reeling" (SLJ, starred review).  

Rusty-James is the number one tough guy among the junior high kids who hang out and shoot pool at Benny's. He's proud of his reputation, but what he wants most of all is to be just like his older brother, the Motorcycle Boy. Whenever Rusty-James gets in over his head, the Motorcycle Boy has always been there to bail him out. Then one day Rusty-James' world comes apart, and the Motorcycle boy isn't around to pick up the pieces. What now?

Like Hinton's groundbreaking classic The Outsiders, Rumble Fish was adapted into a movie by Francis Ford Coppola and remains as relevant as ever in its exploration of sibling relationships, the importance of role models, and the courage to think independently. 

This edition includes an exclusive Author's Note.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice

"Sharper in focus and more mature in style than Hinton's The Outsiders." —Booklist

"Hinton, on her own turf, is still unbeatable." —Kirkus Reviews

"S.E. Hinton is a brilliant novelist." —Publishers Weekly

  • NOMINEE | 1985
    Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
S. E. Hinton wrote her first novel, The Outsiders, when she was 16. She was the recipient of the American Library Association’s first Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors authors “whose books have provided young adults with a window through which they can view their world and which will help them to grow and to understand themselves and their role in society.” The author lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. View titles by S. E. Hinton

About

From the author of the international bestseller The Outsiders comes a "stylistically superb" novel that "packs a punch that will leave readers of any age reeling" (SLJ, starred review).  

Rusty-James is the number one tough guy among the junior high kids who hang out and shoot pool at Benny's. He's proud of his reputation, but what he wants most of all is to be just like his older brother, the Motorcycle Boy. Whenever Rusty-James gets in over his head, the Motorcycle Boy has always been there to bail him out. Then one day Rusty-James' world comes apart, and the Motorcycle boy isn't around to pick up the pieces. What now?

Like Hinton's groundbreaking classic The Outsiders, Rumble Fish was adapted into a movie by Francis Ford Coppola and remains as relevant as ever in its exploration of sibling relationships, the importance of role models, and the courage to think independently. 

This edition includes an exclusive Author's Note.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice

"Sharper in focus and more mature in style than Hinton's The Outsiders." —Booklist

"Hinton, on her own turf, is still unbeatable." —Kirkus Reviews

"S.E. Hinton is a brilliant novelist." —Publishers Weekly

Awards

  • NOMINEE | 1985
    Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Author

S. E. Hinton wrote her first novel, The Outsiders, when she was 16. She was the recipient of the American Library Association’s first Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors authors “whose books have provided young adults with a window through which they can view their world and which will help them to grow and to understand themselves and their role in society.” The author lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. View titles by S. E. Hinton

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more