And Then We Went Into Town to Buy Gingham and Sugar

One of the best things on the whole internets is the Fri. Fine Lines feature that Lizzie Skurnick writes for Jezebel. Basically, Skunick revisits Y.A. novels and gives her grown-up interpretation of them. "Y.A." is definitely pretty loosely here as pretty much anything of literary value (sorry, Sweet Valley High) that you read in your youths. The schtick is getting a leetle tired now that she's been at it for a while, and—as a warning—the books can be pretty girly. But, OMFG, this week she posted about The Long Winter, the sixth book in the Little House series.

I LOVED those f-ing books. My mom thought I was insane, wanting to read about 19th-century kids, but guess what? Over the years I have discovered that A LOT of the good readers I know (hi, D and K) were also into this business. (I'm clearly trying to pat myself on the back here.) SO THERE.

ANYWAY, here are some of the best Fine Lines posts that are are teeens more gender-neutral:

On Cheaper by the Dozen: Read this in Mrs. Applen's class in 8th grade. Which seems old. I remember something about the most efficient way to clean oneself in the bath.
On Homecoming: I def. had a grade school Cythia Voigt phase.
On A Wrinkle in Time: Obsessed.
On From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Nuf said.