Cynthia Leitich Smith has put together an all star team of Indigenous authors and the result is this spectacular book of YA short stories! Just like her anthology for middle grade readers, Ancestor Approved, the stories in this book have main characters from one story that make appearances in the others. (I love that!!) All of the stories center around Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In, which appears where and when each of the Native teens needs it. Populated with legendary grandparents, Sandy June's gives each teen exactly what they need to sort out difficulties they are having. Many of the characters in the short stories have appeared in their author's longer work. This masterpiece belongs in every high school library. Highly recommended for grades 8 & up.

This one wasn't for me, but I think it absolutely would be right up the street of other folks, particularly young folks. I felt just too divorced from the content and interests of the young people in the book to feel much connection and found I resonated most with the occasional older adult characters (aunties, mothers, and grandmothers). Turns out I'm officially old. xD. We'll be buying this for our library all the same as well as promoting it through our student book clubs.

I really enjoyed Ancestor Approved, so I was really looking forward to this one. However, once I started it, I just wasn't feeling it, so for now, I am putting it down but may come back to it later when I'm in a different reading mood.

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.

This was a beautifully done collection of stories and worked with each of the stories being collected. The theme worked overall and was enjoying the world that was created and how everything was interconnected. I was engaged with the characters and glad I got to read this.

Could barely out it down, such a good read. I will definitely suggest it to everyone. I felt like I was there in the story.