This book deals with the topic of living in a blended family. Matt and Cody run away from home after their stepfather bullies Cody, but the boys soon learn that running away is not the answer to their problems. Matt and Cody discover that the world is not the safe and pleasant place they anticipated. When Matt and Cody return home, they are prepared to follow the rules that are necessary to live together in a family setting.
Kropp has tried to parallel this book to Hinton's The Outsiders, which would be a good book to use along with this novel.

Ponyboy is only 14, but after his parents' death, he tries to keep the family together. Ponyboy's loyalties are to his brothers and to his gang. In this novel, there are two kinds of people in the world - greasers and socs. A soc (short for social) has money and can get away with almost anything. A greaser always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. One night after a fight, Johnny kills a soc. Ponyboy learns that pain feels the same whether you are a soc or a greaser.
S. E. Hinton wrote this novel in 1967 when she was 16 years old and it has stood the test of time.

In this sequel to Stravaganza: City of Masks, Georgia's stepbrother Russell makes her life miserable. Georgia loves horses and when she buys a tiny winged horse in an antique shop, she develops the ability to move back and forth between a parallel dimension of her world in contemporary London and Talia and 16th-century Italy. In Talia, Georgia becomes a jockey and, disguised as a boy, wins an important race. Georgia is a strong, determined individual who overcomes difficulties and focuses on achievement. In the end, Russell's meanness is revealed and he is forced to leave Georgia alone.
The sections of the novel that are set in contemporary England feature English expressions and terminology, while the sections set in Talia include Italian names. While this might be challenging for some readers, it also emphasizes the difference between Georgia's two worlds.