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Legendary Frybread Drive-In
Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread.
The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy June's serves up more than it hosts live music, movie nights, unexpected family reunions, love long lost, and love found again.
That big green-and-gold neon sign beckons to teens of every tribal Nation, often when they need it most.
Featuring stories and poems Kaua Mahoe Adams, Marcella Bell, Angeline Boulley, K. A. Cobell, A. J. Eversole, Jen Ferguson, Eric Gansworth, Byron Graves, Kate Hart, Christine Hartman Derr, Karina Iceberg, Cheryl Isaacs, Darcie Little Badger, David A. Robertson, Andrea L. Rogers, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Brian Young.
In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy June's serves up more than it hosts live music, movie nights, unexpected family reunions, love long lost, and love found again.
That big green-and-gold neon sign beckons to teens of every tribal Nation, often when they need it most.
Featuring stories and poems Kaua Mahoe Adams, Marcella Bell, Angeline Boulley, K. A. Cobell, A. J. Eversole, Jen Ferguson, Eric Gansworth, Byron Graves, Kate Hart, Christine Hartman Derr, Karina Iceberg, Cheryl Isaacs, Darcie Little Badger, David A. Robertson, Andrea L. Rogers, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Brian Young.
In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
Unknown Binding
First published August 26, 2025
143 people are currently reading
11341 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Leitich Smith
39 books1,288 followersCynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and anthologist of more than 20 books for young readers. She was named a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, the NSK Neustadt Laureate, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and winner of the Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature. Cynthia has also been named to deliver the 2026 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Chair for the children’s-YA writing MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
November 17, 2025
Definitely the best anthology I have ever read. I cried like a baby at so many of these stories!
I had planned to write a little about each short story as I read them, but last night I started reading and couldn’t stop. The stories in this anthology are so well blended and strategically placed, I’m not sure talking about them separately would do them justice.
This anthology has varying narrative styles, themes, all beautifully woven together and centered around the Legendary Frybread Drive-In - which appears whenever it’s needed.
These stories are written for YA but feel easy to relate to as an adult as well. These stories are empowering, centering growth, acceptance, culture, friendship and family. They feel cozy and warm.
My favorite stories were “Maybe It Starts” and “Braving the Storm”
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins (Heartdrum) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
I had planned to write a little about each short story as I read them, but last night I started reading and couldn’t stop. The stories in this anthology are so well blended and strategically placed, I’m not sure talking about them separately would do them justice.
This anthology has varying narrative styles, themes, all beautifully woven together and centered around the Legendary Frybread Drive-In - which appears whenever it’s needed.
These stories are written for YA but feel easy to relate to as an adult as well. These stories are empowering, centering growth, acceptance, culture, friendship and family. They feel cozy and warm.
My favorite stories were “Maybe It Starts” and “Braving the Storm”
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins (Heartdrum) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
November 23, 2025
The perfect anthology doesn't exi-WELL IT DOES NOW!! Every single story was beautifully written, and hit just right. I cried at so many of them, I lost count. I badly need some frybread right now, please and thank you.
November 21, 2024
Can I confess something to you? And do you promise not to tell anyone my secret? 🫣 Okay, I feel like you wouldn’t lie to me so I’ll tell you 👀
I actually hate anthologies, I try so hard but I’ve never met an anthology I liked. UNTIL NOW. I genuinely loved this, I laughed, I cried, I learned. I will be honest that I started out feeling frustrated and overwhelmed but once I started to imagine Sandy June’s as the main character, everything clicked and flowed for me after. I’m purposefully not discussing the stories because they really are just something you need to read and experience for yourself but what I will say is Game Night by Darcie Little Badger was my hands down favorite. Now I need a full novel about Indigenous friends playing DnD.
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
I actually hate anthologies, I try so hard but I’ve never met an anthology I liked. UNTIL NOW. I genuinely loved this, I laughed, I cried, I learned. I will be honest that I started out feeling frustrated and overwhelmed but once I started to imagine Sandy June’s as the main character, everything clicked and flowed for me after. I’m purposefully not discussing the stories because they really are just something you need to read and experience for yourself but what I will say is Game Night by Darcie Little Badger was my hands down favorite. Now I need a full novel about Indigenous friends playing DnD.
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
August 27, 2025
This is an anthology featuring modern intertribal stories. The genre is Native YA literature.
This is an interconnected YA collection of short stories and poems featuring magical realism.
I don’t read a lot of anthologies. However the idea of Native/Indigenous author rep in YA lit is so important. I’ve never been exposed to stories like this.
The magical Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In ties together all of the stories. As well certain characters reappear.
I was fascinated by the Frybread Drive-In. It’s a place that magically appears to native people when they need to find it. The main characters in these stories are young adults. However I didn’t feel like these stories felt too YA.
All of the stories were good. However I think that my favorite is Patent Red by Cynthia Leitich Smirh.
This anthology is both moving and meaningful. The idea behind it is both creative and educational. It is amazing to have so many stories featuring Indigenous characters in one place. I would definitely recommend checking this out.
Thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for allowing me to read this book.
This is an interconnected YA collection of short stories and poems featuring magical realism.
I don’t read a lot of anthologies. However the idea of Native/Indigenous author rep in YA lit is so important. I’ve never been exposed to stories like this.
The magical Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In ties together all of the stories. As well certain characters reappear.
I was fascinated by the Frybread Drive-In. It’s a place that magically appears to native people when they need to find it. The main characters in these stories are young adults. However I didn’t feel like these stories felt too YA.
All of the stories were good. However I think that my favorite is Patent Red by Cynthia Leitich Smirh.
This anthology is both moving and meaningful. The idea behind it is both creative and educational. It is amazing to have so many stories featuring Indigenous characters in one place. I would definitely recommend checking this out.
Thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for allowing me to read this book.
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November 6, 2025
A stunning collection of Indigenous YA short stories, all interconnected through Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In.
I have read several interconnected anthologies (and been a part of some), and THIS was the best I have ever read. The stories are seamless, interwoven, and just really, really good.
The themes are coming of age—from romance to loss of a family member to school to growing up—and all are connected by the drive-in and its link to culture and heritage. Each lead finds themselves reflected at Sandy June's, each finds themselves worthy of entry, each realizes the different ways to be Native on Turtle Island, and each realizes, at the end, that they are the future and what they do determines the next seven generations of futures.
I have read several interconnected anthologies (and been a part of some), and THIS was the best I have ever read. The stories are seamless, interwoven, and just really, really good.
The themes are coming of age—from romance to loss of a family member to school to growing up—and all are connected by the drive-in and its link to culture and heritage. Each lead finds themselves reflected at Sandy June's, each finds themselves worthy of entry, each realizes the different ways to be Native on Turtle Island, and each realizes, at the end, that they are the future and what they do determines the next seven generations of futures.
November 16, 2024
A new YA anthology featuring Native voices in interconnected stories.
🚗
In this story collection we follow several teens as they navigate new love, nerd out over RPGs, grieve for lost loved ones and find a place they all feel welcomed and at home. Davy June’s Legendary Fry Bread Drive In appears whenever someone needs it to. You can’t find it on a map or give directions, but it knows when you need someone to talk to, good Native and traditional food when you crave it, as well as a feeling of belonging you can’t get anywhere else. Look for the sign, smell the air for good cooking and Davy June’s will reveal itself.
🎥
Usually story collections can be hit or miss for me, but this one hit all the right notes on every story. I loved the authenticity, the characters, learning about tribal customs, food and traditions, as well as enjoying all the various writing styles on display. This title releases summer 2025–you will want to get your hands on it ASAP! Also—I need fry bread in my life!
Contributors include:
@katehartbooks
Eric Gansworth
@sailormarcella
@dr.littlebadger
@karinaiceberg
Kaua Mahoe Adams
@andrealrogers
@cherisaacs
Christine Hartman Derr
@byoungwrites
@ka_cobell
Jen Ferguson
@ajeversole
@makwa_giniw
@angelineboulley
@davidrobertsonwriter
@cynthialeitichsmith (editor also)
CW: death, grief/loss
🚗
In this story collection we follow several teens as they navigate new love, nerd out over RPGs, grieve for lost loved ones and find a place they all feel welcomed and at home. Davy June’s Legendary Fry Bread Drive In appears whenever someone needs it to. You can’t find it on a map or give directions, but it knows when you need someone to talk to, good Native and traditional food when you crave it, as well as a feeling of belonging you can’t get anywhere else. Look for the sign, smell the air for good cooking and Davy June’s will reveal itself.
🎥
Usually story collections can be hit or miss for me, but this one hit all the right notes on every story. I loved the authenticity, the characters, learning about tribal customs, food and traditions, as well as enjoying all the various writing styles on display. This title releases summer 2025–you will want to get your hands on it ASAP! Also—I need fry bread in my life!
Contributors include:
@katehartbooks
Eric Gansworth
@sailormarcella
@dr.littlebadger
@karinaiceberg
Kaua Mahoe Adams
@andrealrogers
@cherisaacs
Christine Hartman Derr
@byoungwrites
@ka_cobell
Jen Ferguson
@ajeversole
@makwa_giniw
@angelineboulley
@davidrobertsonwriter
@cynthialeitichsmith (editor also)
CW: death, grief/loss
January 1, 2026
Anthologies are usually solid three-star reads for me, four if it's really good. But this one gets a rare five stars for its unity and uniqueness in this genre.
This book features short stories from a number of different native tribes, which usually feel unified only in their themes. But this anthology is unified around the Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In, a place that appears to the characters in each story, usually when they need it most. It's unclear if this is a real or imagined place, but it is one that offers peace, reflection, and tradition for those who find themselves lost or seeking a part of themselves they haven't met before.
In the past few years, I've tried to read more books, fiction and non, from these voices, and many of them, thanks to the reality of their experiences, tend to center around more depressing themes. When choosing texts for students, there are plenty of books like that to help students learn about this important experience, but there is also so much need for joy. It's so difficult to find stories that center joyful or hopeful themes, even through depressing or dark experiences like grief or heartbreak. But this collection tackles the reality of life, without avoiding the negative, but uses the drive-in as a place of healing and hope that makes this a worthwhile read.
This book features short stories from a number of different native tribes, which usually feel unified only in their themes. But this anthology is unified around the Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In, a place that appears to the characters in each story, usually when they need it most. It's unclear if this is a real or imagined place, but it is one that offers peace, reflection, and tradition for those who find themselves lost or seeking a part of themselves they haven't met before.
In the past few years, I've tried to read more books, fiction and non, from these voices, and many of them, thanks to the reality of their experiences, tend to center around more depressing themes. When choosing texts for students, there are plenty of books like that to help students learn about this important experience, but there is also so much need for joy. It's so difficult to find stories that center joyful or hopeful themes, even through depressing or dark experiences like grief or heartbreak. But this collection tackles the reality of life, without avoiding the negative, but uses the drive-in as a place of healing and hope that makes this a worthwhile read.
February 10, 2025
I really love the idea of an anthology of stories by different authors who collaborate based on a shared world, and this collection was a beautiful, understated appeal to Native joy with a focus on a YA audience.
I enjoyed how the drive-in was like Doctor Who meets Native history, complicated family dynamics and culture around the shared experience of food. I could smell the delicious scents of frybread, Indian tacos and bison stew lovingly prepared by the grizzled hands of legendary grandparents. The drive-in is a place that exists nowhere but appears whenever you have need of it, like a quantum ambassador of Native traditions.
I liked how the protagonists in each story became side characters in the next and the continuity between details was maintained throughout the stories, so you could just see these authors all excitedly sharing info on a group Discord chat. Different forms and points of view were used to tell these lovely stories. I also loved how all different tribes were represented, including Hawaiians and Black Natives, showcasing the diversity in Native culture as well as the diversity of viewpoints. Native culture is not a monolith even if certain things like frybread are constants. These weren't big, bold, traumatic stories; they were subtle stories of everyday events that stitch together our lives.
Some of my favorite stories:
GAME NIGHT - I loved how this showed that Natives can be geeks too. A series of chats among a gaming group who realizes one of their members is in trouble and they might be real friends, too.
LOOK AWAY - Throwing out the rulebook on first dates and learning to embrace what you want.
BRAVING THE STORM - A beautiful story about a girl afraid of everything who loses her beloved grandfather who taught her to be brave.
HEART BERRY - A lovely story about female friendship.
HEARTS AFLUTTER - I fell in love with this heartwarming slow-burn story about two best friends pining for each other.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed how the drive-in was like Doctor Who meets Native history, complicated family dynamics and culture around the shared experience of food. I could smell the delicious scents of frybread, Indian tacos and bison stew lovingly prepared by the grizzled hands of legendary grandparents. The drive-in is a place that exists nowhere but appears whenever you have need of it, like a quantum ambassador of Native traditions.
I liked how the protagonists in each story became side characters in the next and the continuity between details was maintained throughout the stories, so you could just see these authors all excitedly sharing info on a group Discord chat. Different forms and points of view were used to tell these lovely stories. I also loved how all different tribes were represented, including Hawaiians and Black Natives, showcasing the diversity in Native culture as well as the diversity of viewpoints. Native culture is not a monolith even if certain things like frybread are constants. These weren't big, bold, traumatic stories; they were subtle stories of everyday events that stitch together our lives.
Some of my favorite stories:
GAME NIGHT - I loved how this showed that Natives can be geeks too. A series of chats among a gaming group who realizes one of their members is in trouble and they might be real friends, too.
LOOK AWAY - Throwing out the rulebook on first dates and learning to embrace what you want.
BRAVING THE STORM - A beautiful story about a girl afraid of everything who loses her beloved grandfather who taught her to be brave.
HEART BERRY - A lovely story about female friendship.
HEARTS AFLUTTER - I fell in love with this heartwarming slow-burn story about two best friends pining for each other.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 31, 2025
This anthology is a celebration in every sense of the word. With stories that range from funny to heartfelt to deeply moving, it captures the joy, community, and resilience woven into Native life. And I felt so honored to have been invited in to the table as an observer. This variety of stories touched on love, family, friendship, heritage, grief; but always with an undercurrent of joy.
And honestly, I needed that reminder right now.
Every author brought something unique to the table, but the one that hit me hardest was Darcie Little Badger’s piece about an online D&D group connecting. The way that virtual community carried weight and love, and the hint of them getting to meet off-page, actually brought a tear to my eye.
And the food! Oh my gosh, the food. The descriptions had me so hungry. It wasn’t just about the taste, though; it was about what sharing a meal means in terms of culture and community. This was so lovely. From the wisdom of Elders to messy family bonds to the spark of first love, Legendary Frybread Drive-In is brimming with warmth and connection It’s the kind of book that leaves you just a little lighter and I can only imagine how much that means to the native peoples within its pages.
Highly, highly recommend grabbing every scrap of joy this collection has to offer.
Thank you so much to Epic Reads and Storygram Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
And honestly, I needed that reminder right now.
Every author brought something unique to the table, but the one that hit me hardest was Darcie Little Badger’s piece about an online D&D group connecting. The way that virtual community carried weight and love, and the hint of them getting to meet off-page, actually brought a tear to my eye.
And the food! Oh my gosh, the food. The descriptions had me so hungry. It wasn’t just about the taste, though; it was about what sharing a meal means in terms of culture and community. This was so lovely. From the wisdom of Elders to messy family bonds to the spark of first love, Legendary Frybread Drive-In is brimming with warmth and connection It’s the kind of book that leaves you just a little lighter and I can only imagine how much that means to the native peoples within its pages.
Highly, highly recommend grabbing every scrap of joy this collection has to offer.
Thank you so much to Epic Reads and Storygram Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
March 9, 2025
I don't typically gravitate toward short stories, I feel like I never have enough information and am left wanting more from the authors. After reading the synopsis for Legendary Frybread Drive-in and seeing the authors who contributed, though, I was excited to dive into the interconnected stories. I loved the authors' ability to share certain details about the drive-in and certain characters, it shows the reader the amount of thought and collaboration that went into the completion of this book. I particularly enjoyed "Game Night" (which I was hesitant about initially because of the format), "Look Away", and "The Rest Will Come" but I devoured the whole anthology within 24 hours so I think it's safe to say I enjoyed most of the stories! I also very much appreciated the glossary at the end of the book, with the multiple different tribal languages used throughout the book, there were quite a few words I had never heard and didn't know the meaning of.
Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and the authors of this anthology for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, thanks to @Weneeddiversebooks for highlighting Legendary Frybread Drive-in as an upcoming release, which led me to read the synopsis and request the ARC.
Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and the authors of this anthology for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, thanks to @Weneeddiversebooks for highlighting Legendary Frybread Drive-in as an upcoming release, which led me to read the synopsis and request the ARC.
August 27, 2025
Legendary Frybread Drive-In was such a tender and loving YA anthology of Indigenous voices and slightly interconnected stories ranging from grief to first loves that left me mesmerized and hungering for more.
From trying to reconnect with one’s identity as a Native person in ‘Maybe It Starts’ by Kate Hart, to grappling with first crushes in ‘Look Away’ by Karina Iceberg, all the way to grieving a family member in ‘I Love You, Grandson’ by Brian Young, the range of stories are woven together by the magical and liminal space of Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In.
I really adored so many of these stories and enjoyed the experimental narrative forms as well (one story is told entirely through an online chat DnD game!) and so glad to have been able to read works from so many great Indigenous authors that I will now be checking out as well.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.
From trying to reconnect with one’s identity as a Native person in ‘Maybe It Starts’ by Kate Hart, to grappling with first crushes in ‘Look Away’ by Karina Iceberg, all the way to grieving a family member in ‘I Love You, Grandson’ by Brian Young, the range of stories are woven together by the magical and liminal space of Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In.
I really adored so many of these stories and enjoyed the experimental narrative forms as well (one story is told entirely through an online chat DnD game!) and so glad to have been able to read works from so many great Indigenous authors that I will now be checking out as well.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.
April 14, 2025
This legendary anthology was such a charming and poignant read - written for the youth, but can be enjoyed by everyone.
The stories are all interconnected by a mystical, legendary drive-in that always appears when you need guidance, or just know where to look. I’m already familiar with most of the authors included in this project, so I was excited to dive in, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The stories are written by indigenous authors to tell tales and lessons of love, life, loss, and personal growth, all taking place at the magical drive-in. The stories are well written and full of heart, I really enjoyed each one.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.
The stories are all interconnected by a mystical, legendary drive-in that always appears when you need guidance, or just know where to look. I’m already familiar with most of the authors included in this project, so I was excited to dive in, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The stories are written by indigenous authors to tell tales and lessons of love, life, loss, and personal growth, all taking place at the magical drive-in. The stories are well written and full of heart, I really enjoyed each one.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.
June 11, 2025
Classified as YA, I still enjoyed this collection of short stories about a mythical drive in, focused on Native American culture. The legendary drive in appears where it’s needed, and ties together indigenous people. I loved the way numerous and varied writers referenced the same people and, of course, the drive in.
Pleasant read with some good reminders and eye openers.
Thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC. Opinions are my own.
Pleasant read with some good reminders and eye openers.
Thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC. Opinions are my own.
October 16, 2025
4.5. I like the writing and the stories. It is a warm fantasy. Something to soothe the soul.
October 29, 2025
Loved this collection of short stories! Usually in story collections, I skim a couple of them, but I enjoyed all of these connected stories. Not only were they good, but:
Editor of the book is someone I've met several times and was helpful when I was teaching my WNDB course
Because of that course, I realized how many issues there were with Native American books that were not written by Native Americans
Which led me to not only discover the website American Indians in Children's Literature with several very helpful conversations with Dr. Debbie Reese (and the fact that I travel through the reservation she grew up on frequently while in NM)
Because on of the authors was the winner of the Printz award the year I was chair and I love all her books
Because even though I could get a good list of books for my students, they were very hard for them to find in libraries
Because the comments Trump has made about citizenship and Native American anger me so much
And because it was just a good book.
Editor of the book is someone I've met several times and was helpful when I was teaching my WNDB course
Because of that course, I realized how many issues there were with Native American books that were not written by Native Americans
Which led me to not only discover the website American Indians in Children's Literature with several very helpful conversations with Dr. Debbie Reese (and the fact that I travel through the reservation she grew up on frequently while in NM)
Because on of the authors was the winner of the Printz award the year I was chair and I love all her books
Because even though I could get a good list of books for my students, they were very hard for them to find in libraries
Because the comments Trump has made about citizenship and Native American anger me so much
And because it was just a good book.
August 27, 2025
This is a short story collection featuring a variety of Indigenous characters written by different authors across a number of genres. The characters live all over Turtle Island, from Tennessee to Hawaii, from Sitka to Tuscarora. But the one thing each has in common is somehow stumbling across Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In when they most need it.
Stories dive into topics like grief, belonging, generational histories, and second chances. The beauty of story and the comfort of food. The power of language, and over and over, the importance of connection.
I often enjoy a good short story collection, and this one felt almost like the vignette stories I love so much. While there were heavy emotions in many of the stories, there was also so much hope and connection and emotional growth. And given that each story was written by a different author, the fact that so many of them blended together seamlessly was hugely impressive!
While it’s YA at heart, many of the stories felt incredibly relatable. This is one I definitely recommend! Thanks so much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy!
Stories dive into topics like grief, belonging, generational histories, and second chances. The beauty of story and the comfort of food. The power of language, and over and over, the importance of connection.
I often enjoy a good short story collection, and this one felt almost like the vignette stories I love so much. While there were heavy emotions in many of the stories, there was also so much hope and connection and emotional growth. And given that each story was written by a different author, the fact that so many of them blended together seamlessly was hugely impressive!
While it’s YA at heart, many of the stories felt incredibly relatable. This is one I definitely recommend! Thanks so much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy!
August 12, 2025
*Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an ARC from NetGalley*
This was everything I had hoped it would be. This is a book filled with interconnected stories made for Indigenous teenagers.
This is one of the best anthologies, probably my favourite anthology, I’ve ever read. I truly feel so grateful that I got to read this beautiful book.
The authors themselves come from many different places, and I loved reading new words. I especially enjoyed the glossary at the end of the book to know how to pronounce the words, and what they mean.
Most of the stories here are regular prose, but there was one story that was written in verse (Braving the Storm) which was absolutely beautiful. I loved all the writing styles in this anthology, but Braving the Storm is my favourite story overall, especially because it was written in verse.
The themes of community, friendship, love, grief, hope, and good food were amazingly done. I have nothing bad to say about this absolutely wonderful anthology. I hope people read it and see the beauty this book has to offer!
This was everything I had hoped it would be. This is a book filled with interconnected stories made for Indigenous teenagers.
This is one of the best anthologies, probably my favourite anthology, I’ve ever read. I truly feel so grateful that I got to read this beautiful book.
The authors themselves come from many different places, and I loved reading new words. I especially enjoyed the glossary at the end of the book to know how to pronounce the words, and what they mean.
Most of the stories here are regular prose, but there was one story that was written in verse (Braving the Storm) which was absolutely beautiful. I loved all the writing styles in this anthology, but Braving the Storm is my favourite story overall, especially because it was written in verse.
The themes of community, friendship, love, grief, hope, and good food were amazingly done. I have nothing bad to say about this absolutely wonderful anthology. I hope people read it and see the beauty this book has to offer!
August 25, 2025
2025 reads: 227/300
i received a complimentary finished copy from the publisher as part of a book tour. this did not affect my rating.
this anthology follows indigenous teens across turtle island who, for various reasons, find themselves at sandy june’s legendary frybread drive-in, where they find healing, love, and, of course, food.
i never thought it was possible to so badly crave a food you’ve never had before, but this book made me really hungry for frybread!! i loved how much importance this anthology placed on food, especially as this was related to the characters’ heritage. more important than the food, though, was the people making it. sandy june’s was filled with elders, many of whom had already passed away. it was so special seeing them able to continue passing down their wisdom and helping the younger characters navigate their problems, whether the problems related to identity, relationships, or anything else. the drive-in was such a magical place, and i thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
i received a complimentary finished copy from the publisher as part of a book tour. this did not affect my rating.
this anthology follows indigenous teens across turtle island who, for various reasons, find themselves at sandy june’s legendary frybread drive-in, where they find healing, love, and, of course, food.
i never thought it was possible to so badly crave a food you’ve never had before, but this book made me really hungry for frybread!! i loved how much importance this anthology placed on food, especially as this was related to the characters’ heritage. more important than the food, though, was the people making it. sandy june’s was filled with elders, many of whom had already passed away. it was so special seeing them able to continue passing down their wisdom and helping the younger characters navigate their problems, whether the problems related to identity, relationships, or anything else. the drive-in was such a magical place, and i thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
November 1, 2025
4.5 stars
A really well put together anthology. I love when an anthology have connected threads, or a theme and this one was really well done. I think these are great to read one at a time, because a few did seem to get repetitive. Only one story really struck me as YA, most read as quite adult. My favorites were I Love You Grandson by Brian Young and Maybe it Starts by Kate Heart.
Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to form opinions from.
A really well put together anthology. I love when an anthology have connected threads, or a theme and this one was really well done. I think these are great to read one at a time, because a few did seem to get repetitive. Only one story really struck me as YA, most read as quite adult. My favorites were I Love You Grandson by Brian Young and Maybe it Starts by Kate Heart.
Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to form opinions from.
November 6, 2025
Happy Indigenous Heritage Month!! This anthology was sooo good, and I know the phrase "feels like a warm hug" gets thrown around a lot now, but that truly is the best way to describe these stories. I also love a book that makes me hungry, really need frybread and navajo tacos now.
I do wish that this had at least one queer short story in the collection, I think it would be really awesome to touch on the concept of two-spirit, but realistically my wish is that this collection was longer!! I could read about Sandy June's forever <3
I do wish that this had at least one queer short story in the collection, I think it would be really awesome to touch on the concept of two-spirit, but realistically my wish is that this collection was longer!! I could read about Sandy June's forever <3
November 24, 2025
I listened to this YA anthology on audiobooks. I would give it a 4.5. As a former educator, I thought about all the ways this could be used in middle school and high school classrooms. The stories were woven together with themes that are important to not only YA, but adults as well. Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-in was the center of each story, always there providing knowledge and advice from the elders. The collaboration between the various Native writers was evident as you move through the anthology. It’s hard to pick my favorite story but two that stand out are Mvskoke Joy and Braving the Storm. I wish I could visit Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-in.
December 29, 2025
This book was ok. It was a choice from one of the challenges on Goodreads. It definitely is not a book I would’ve chosen on my own, but I’m so glad I read it. I learned a lot about the culture of the Native Americans. I learned about their food likes and some of the language. This book was an anthology which isn’t anything I have read in a long time. I loved how each chapter was a different story, but tied the Frybread Drive- In in to the story. Some stories intertwined characters from other stories and it was just a really neat read.
November 24, 2025
4.5 Stars
January 1, 2026
This very quickly became one of my favorite short story anthologies. What a glorious celebration of community! I love so many of the stories and was left wanting more. Highly recommend.
October 27, 2025
I enjoyed it! The last few stories definitely were my favorites. I have difficulties with short story collections so I would have liked to see more connections between each story but that’s just me. 4.25/5, rounding down.
December 19, 2025
Really enjoyed reading this anthology by native american writers. loved the way each author wove the drive in, into their stories.
October 21, 2025
What a fabulous, delightful book! I love these stories representing indigenous people from all over the country. Love, discovery, friendships, family, all under the backdrop of the Frybread Drive-In. And in all the stories, homage is paid to the elders - their wisdom, their love, their acceptance. This might be this year's holiday present for everyone.
October 8, 2025
Oh my GOD I think this is one of my favorite books I’ve read in my life
August 14, 2025
I must concede that I am not a usual reader of short story collections, and when given a choice between a collection and a longer work by the same author, I will most often opt for something at least novella-length. But there's something special about this anthology that makes it feel much more like a whole work despite being written by multiple authors.
These 18 stories – including those poetic in form – work together to imagine the shared space of Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-in, which becomes a place where teens of varying Native American identities find community, romance, and connection to their specific or symbolic ancestors. For some of them, it's a given that this place exists for them; for others, the main quest in the story is to find it and experience the respite from their daily routines that it provides. And it's not just the setting that the stories share – or the idea that there are "legendary grandparents" in the drive-in and that it is run by SJ, who might or might not be the Sandy June. Protagonists who were central to one story might reappear in another as secondary characters, thus creating the impression of us peeking into a larger world.
The story that appealed most to me is probably "Game Night" by Darcy Little Badger – it stands out in form, clearly (written as a log of DND-style game), but also has just the right amount of allowing the possibility of the fantastical into the realistic.
For those of us less familiar with YA texts by contemporary Indigenous authors of North America, this anthology might also be a good entry point. I'm definitely planning to look up additional reads by some of the authors featured here. (I had only read or heard of a few of them before.)
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is entirely my own.
These 18 stories – including those poetic in form – work together to imagine the shared space of Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-in, which becomes a place where teens of varying Native American identities find community, romance, and connection to their specific or symbolic ancestors. For some of them, it's a given that this place exists for them; for others, the main quest in the story is to find it and experience the respite from their daily routines that it provides. And it's not just the setting that the stories share – or the idea that there are "legendary grandparents" in the drive-in and that it is run by SJ, who might or might not be the Sandy June. Protagonists who were central to one story might reappear in another as secondary characters, thus creating the impression of us peeking into a larger world.
The story that appealed most to me is probably "Game Night" by Darcy Little Badger – it stands out in form, clearly (written as a log of DND-style game), but also has just the right amount of allowing the possibility of the fantastical into the realistic.
For those of us less familiar with YA texts by contemporary Indigenous authors of North America, this anthology might also be a good entry point. I'm definitely planning to look up additional reads by some of the authors featured here. (I had only read or heard of a few of them before.)
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is entirely my own.
October 3, 2025
I think every copy of this book needs to be sold alongside a fresh hot plate of frybread
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