Whether Indigenous teens are waiting out a tornado or a delayed plane, the neon sign for Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In welcomes them when they need it most. This collection of interconnected short stories written by 17 Indigenous authors deals with a number of emotional topics, from unrequited crushes to coping with the death of a beloved grandparent. No matter where they are or which tribe they belong to, Sandy June’s will magically appear with good food, a listening ear and the wisdom of Elders. Cynthia Leitich Smith, who served on Vermont College of Fine Arts’ faculty for 20 years, wrote two stories and edited the entire collection. Contributor Karina Iceberg earned her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and contributor Brian Young graduated from Yale University.

Rating: 4 stars for time, space, community travel as well as accessible frybread made by elders

My Thoughts:
This book consists of short stories written by Native YA authors like Darcie Little Badger, Angeline Boulley and Cynthia Leitich Smith, who is also the editor. What makes this so interesting is that all of the short stories are connected by this mythical "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" that pops up in different areas, different times, different ways. Sandy June's is almost like the room of requirement. It just sort of is there, wherever Natives hangout and wherever it is needed. Run by elders, this is the place to gather for a game of DnD, a place to learn something you didn't know you needed to know, as well as a place to get some granny TLC. I tried to figure out which one I liked, but the stories are so different. What keeps them together is the heartbreak of the Native experience, as well as the resilience that they find as they gather at the driv-in. With some of the stories, I was wondering if the authors shared their pieces as they were writing since it seems like some of the characters of one story are in the background of other stories.

In the classroom, these stories can be used separately as model texts for different elements, like DMS as a vehicle to tell a story, or use the stories together to talk about the drive in as its own character or element that weaves throughout multiple stories.

I need to read it multiple times, but I think this has the potential to be used in the secondary classroom. In addition, it ensures that teachers are able to bring in diverse voices to the English language arts classroom. Before educators balk at the DEI, critical race pressures in schools to white wash our curriculum, know that the stance from the Department of Education in DC is that Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians are a protected community and that the government has a different relationship with these groups and do not plan to step in to dictate native Education. This is our opportunity as educators to bring in more diversity through Indigenous writings.

From the Publisher:
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.

Publication Information:
Editor: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Publisher: Heartdrum, an imprint of Harper Collin's Childrens Books (Aug 26, 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.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books publishing company for allowing me to read Legendary Frybread Drive-in by Cynthia Leitich Smith; Kate Hart; Eric Gansworth; Marcella Bell; Darcie Little Badger; Karina Iceberg; Kaua Mahoe Adams; Andrea L. Rogers; Cheryl Isaacs; Christine Hartman Derr; Brian Young; K. A. Cobell; Jen Ferguson; A. J. Eversole; Byron Graves; Angeline Boulley; David A. Robertson in exchange for my honest review. #LegendaryFrybreadDriveIn #NetGalley.

Each story is expertly crafted and connected by Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In. As each story unfolds, readers embark on a journey filled with questions, unknowns, and a dash of comfort. Every character faces a challenge, but it never lasts long enough to take them away from Sandy June's. Legendary Frybread Drive-In is a must-buy for all high school libraries.

I loved this collection that seemed like it was written by a who’s who of indigenous American writers. Each story had a common theme of a character who needed advice or wisdom and who found their way to the drive-in where they might eat, cook, perform, craft… all
under the tutelage of elders or contemporaries. It was so much fun to see characters from the authors’ other works (some of my favorite characters) pop into the stories. The authors truly made the stories fit together seamlessly. My only criticism is that they were written so well that I wanted them to be longer-the mark of an excellent collection. This gem is really worth a read.

I have found it difficulty in finding stories with indigenous representation that are interesting and a delight to read. I understand the discrimination and struggles that Indigenous people deal with, especially in the states. The title really drew me in, because I thought about the children's picture book, Fry Bread. Even though this was a collection of short stories, each short story wove together in the book. This would be a great read during November when readers are looking for books with Indigenous representation.

These were very heartwarming tales of young people having a variety of different experiences and the role that the Fry Bread Drive in played in them. I loved learning more about Native American culture as it was interwoven throughout the stories. It also showed how young people are dealing with many of the same struggles across cultures. Excellent read! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

THOUGHTS

This frybread drive-in is a magical place. The setting really is the star in this collection. When it comes to the stories themselves, well, they were rather... bland. But that just gave the setting more room to shine.


PROS
Magical Drive-In: There's something really magical about the frybread drive-in all these authors create. It's whimsical and fun, and it really comes alive through all of the interweaving stories. It feels mystical, not-quite-concrete, but at the same time, it feels like a place you could stumble into just when you need it, as tangible as anything. And I loved that.

Diverse Characters: I really loved the diaspora of these pages. So many different cultures come together at this drive-in, creating a rainbow of diverse Native perspectives. I loved the blending of cultures into one form of solidarity and community, one out-of-space, out-of-time magical place where all these voices can come together in harmony. It's a great reading experience!

Brand New, Time and Again: Anthologies on a theme can have lots of problems, but the most common one I've encountered is that all the stories start to feel the same. They echo; they rhyme. And that's always a shame. But that is definitely not the case here. Every story feels different. The setup, the characters, the flavor: it's always changing, one story to the next. Every story kicks off on a different note, and nothing converges into the same tired old plotlines. And I liked that. I liked that the stories themselves were diverse, not just their casts and cultural backgrounds.


CONS
Not-So Story: Short story is an art separate from novel or verse, and while I have no doubt every one of these authors is a master at writing (and I will definitely be seeking out the long-form writing for those I haven't read yet independently), none of these short stories come close to reaching what a short story can and should be. They're just snippets, vignettes that don't matter much. And that was kind of sad, all things considered.

Romance-Heavy: Though I said what I said above (and I'll be sticking to that) about these stories each feeling unique and different, I will also say that they're almost all on the romance side. They're all meet-cute in a way that's fun sometimes and rushed other times. I liked seeing these sparks fly at the drive-in, but I would have liked to see other connections hitting it off here, too. I don't know. Not everything's got to be about love connections, you know?

Shallow: This is a feel-good anthology, and I respect that. But I don't know that these stories had the chops to pull of being feel-good. Happy endings have to be earned. The magic of the drive-in means a lot of healing can happen here, and I love that about it. But these stories are so short, everything seems to happen too quickly. It didn't feel real, and not in a way that added to the mystique of the drive-in. In a way that just doesn't reflect real life, real relationships and people and just good storytelling. It left a kind of depressing aftertaste in its wake not because the stories were depressing but because they weren't invested enough in the realism to make the happy endings feel, well, real. Like a possibility. Like something to hope or strive for in your own life. And that's sad.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6/10
Fans of Ashley Herring Blake & Rebecca Podos's anthology Fools in Love will love falling in love at this drive-in. Those who adored the project behind Margaret Owen & Hanna Alkaf's The Grimoire of Grave Fates will like the way these vignettes weave together to create a unified tapestry.

The Legendary Frybread Drive-In, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, is a vibrant anthology celebrating Indigenous life, culture, and community through interconnected stories and poems. With contributions from both emerging and renowned Native voices, the collection offers a heartfelt journey filled with humor, heritage, love, and resilience. Centered around the iconic Sandy June’s Drive-In, this literary feast serves up more than frybread—it dishes out soul, identity, and the unbreakable bonds of belonging. A rich, flavorful read for teens and adults alike.

5⭐

I want everyone who needs it to have their Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In spot where they can find a spot for community, hope, love, a little wisdom, and good food surrounded by people who share their traditions and culture.

This book was the happy escape I needed from the world right now. So many of these stories touched my heart--I was giddy, I was happy, I was sad, I was hopeful and a million other emotions. The book community talks so much about reading books that feature joy of minority community, not just trauma. To understand the joy of indigenous communities through the pride of their culture and strength of their community, this book is a must read.

This book comes out in August and I really hope you'll read it then.

Legendary Frybread Drive-In is a collection of short stories following Native teens across North America as they encounter Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In. These writers are from diverse tribal nations and have teens experiencing things from family relationships to new romances. Before I begin my review, I want to let you know that I do know and have been in a writing group with some of the writers in this collection and that may impact my thoughts about the book. In general I enjoyed the stories in this collection and thought that they were well written. Two writers had emotional writing and made me cry in public as I read them, “Braving the Storm” by Kaua Māhoe and “I Love You, Grandson” by Brian Young. Admittedly, it may be because both of these stories deal with the loss of grandparents which is an immediate emotional soft spot for me. “Game Night” by Darcie Little Badger used interesting formatting to tell a story about a cast of characters who play TTRPGs. Overall, I enjoyed the collection of stories and would love to visit Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In. I received a digital review copy of this book from Netgalley and Heartdruum and my review is all my own opinions.

5 out of 5 stars

This might actually be the best short story collection I've ever read! While I didn't love all of the stories to the exact same degree, I genuinely enjoyed every single entry -- a first for me when it comes to anthologies. My personal favorites are "Mvskoke Joy," "Game Night," "Patent Red," "Heart Berry," "The Rest Will Come," and "Jilly Bean and Jessa Jean."

I wasn't expecting magical realism, but I found it unexpectedly delightful! That's not a genre I usually gravitate to and this may have given me the push I needed to choose it more actively. Several of these authors are already familiar to me (I am the world's number-one "Harvest House" by Cynthia Leitich Smith stan), while others have books that have been on my to-read list for months or years. I'm so, so excited to explore more of these writers' work!

**HUGE thank you to Heartdrum for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. This was a great read about the Anishinaabe culture with stories revolving around Sandy June’s Drive-In. I like how some of the stories intertwined as well. Sandy June’s knew what the characters needed even if they weren’t sure of what they needed themselves.

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”

Legendary Frybread Drive-In was a great collection of stories by various authors. I loved how the stories were woven interconnected, not something one may always expect when there are so many different stories.

I was happy to see so many indigenous authors represented in this collection. I can't wait for this one to be published so I can share it with friends!

Genuinely an incredible read! what a beautiful set of diverse storytelling. I cannot wait for this book’s release so I can share with everyone I know. Just perfect.

I loved this collection of stories woven together and representative of Native diversity. The stories are cohesive, bringing through past characters into the next one, and connected to the Legendary Frybread Drive-In, which serves as a space for guidance. I highly recommend adding this book to your YA collection to experience exquisite storytelling and to uplift Native authors.

The stories and characters intertwine via a frybread hangout that transcends time and space. Wonderful stories by Indigenous authors that is a highly anticipated addition to our school library!

Legendary Frybread Drive In is a wonderful collection of short stories similar to Ancestors Approved. It features a wide variety Indigenous authors who each have their own unique style. The stories are perfect for discussing theme, point of view, Indigenous culture, and so many other topics. I would highly recommend this book for middle and high school students. I teach predominantly Native students in North Dakota and I know I will need this book available for them. There are so many wonderful themes such as belonging and connection that are used throughout the book. I would highly recommend!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC. This did not impact my review. I plan to definitely get a few copies for my class and maybe even a class set. I love how it can work as an introduction to so many amazing authors.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! I have so enjoyed being the audience for amazing writers--and to continue learning about native culture and history. The premise of this book is heartening as a teacher for several reasons:
1. It covers the same basic location/people for the entire book, making it easy for students who struggle with complicated plots and settings
2. It gives small insights to different cultures and nations--all within the same backdrop of the main setting, which lends itself to a deeper understanding, opportunities to compare between chapters