LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover art by Paula TopSky Houtz, cover design by Molly Fehr (Heartdrum, Aug. 26, 2025).
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 food: 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.
Featured contributors: Kaua Māhoe 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.
Audio Edition Voice Actors: Tiffany Ayalik, Katie Anvil Rich, Darrell Dennis, Kinsale Drake, Elva Guerra, Mapuana Makia, Jessica Matten, Jesse Nobess, Tanis Parenteau, Rainy Fields, Isabella Star, Delanna Studi, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Erin Tripp, Jordan Waunch.
Published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
★ “…the perfect gateway to discovering the writing of noted authors…. Obvious thought and care went into the crafting and arranging of the stories, with expertly executed callbacks to previous entries. Superlative.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “…award-winning authors and new voices use this liminal space in surprising and inventive ways…a microcosm of the interconnectedness of modern Indigenous life…terrific collection of entertaining stories—of laughter, music, delicious food, friendship, and romance—that will appeal to teen readers across age ranges, identities, and interests….. An essential purchase.” —Booklist, starred review
“The interconnected stories in a variety of formats and genres reflect a kaleidoscopic array of contemporary Native identities and serve as a nice springboard to the creators’ other work.” —The Washington Post
“This outstanding volume is nuanced, funny, engaging and enlightening.” —Ms. Magazine
“…Smith’s uplifting poem ‘Open Mic at the Drive-In’ closes this liminal-feeling collection, which pays tribute to the Native traditions and intergenerational relationships preserved by the ‘run-down, neon’ drive-in, including frying bread, sipping sweetgrass tea, and ‘jammin’ to Redbone./ Uncles tunin’ sharp fiddles.'” —Publishers Weekly
“Stories in this noteworthy and absorbing compilation work as stand-alones, but to get the full benefit and sense of intertribal community, read them together…. In voices, styles, and scenarios as varied as the tribes and locations represented, the stories and poems…capture often-pivotal moments in young people’s lives.” —Shelf Awareness
“…a delightful reading experience….Native young adults from numerous intersecting identities venture to this communal space to meet a crush, read a poem, mourn, or reconnect with family. The stories are about their lived experiences, not white oppression.” —Peals & Ruby’s: Edith Campbell at School Library Journal
“A huge range of tribal affiliations and locales are represented, and distinct traditions and customs are easily woven in through dialogue, avoiding heavy exposition or explanation. Various characters thread through each other’s stories, allowing many of the players more depth and nuance had they only been in one tale, and encouraging the readers to make the thematic connections in cultural identities that are both individually specific and community-wide.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The relatable struggles of the characters in this anthology will appeal to any young reader who wishes to read about teens facing challenges similar to their own.” —Butler Children’s Literature Center
5 Tasty YA Books To Nourish Mind, Body, and Spirit by Laura Simeon from Kirkus Reviews. PEEK: “…dazzling array of Indigenous authors…a mystical community space that appears to those who need it, this is a diverse and deeply emotional collection of interconnected stories, poems, and other entries. As well as fry bread, the truck serves sweetgrass tea, cornbread, NDN tacos, bison burgers, pashofa, and more.”
10 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2025 by Caroline Cabe from Cowboys & Indians: The Premier Magazine of the West. PEEK: “These Western and Indigenous books are on our must-read list this year.”
12 Books with New England Ties to Read This Summer by Katherine Ouelette from wbur. PEEK: “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.” Kaua Māhoe Adams and Christine Hartman Derr also are VCFA graduates.
12 New and Forthcoming Books by Indigenous Authors from Neil Aldrich at Bookstr. PEEK: “Sandy June beckons teens of every tribal nation, offering things that they didn’t know they needed.”
20 Best August Books for Young Readers from Kirkus Reviews.
August Reads for the Rest of Us by Karla J. Strand and Violet Pandya from Ms. Magazine.
Best New Books in August 2025 for Kids and Teens from We Are Teachers. PEEK: “The diverse representation in this new book for August 2025 deserves a spot on every classroom bookshelf.”
From Frybread to Aliens: 2025 YA Anthologies for Your TBR by Kelly Jensen from BookRiot. PEEK: “I love Cynthia Leitich Smith’s books, but I especially loved her middle grade anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED, a collection of interconnected, intertribal stories centered around a powwow. Now she’s bringing a similar idea to a YA anthology—one of the only, if not the only, Native American anthologies for teen readers.”
Legendary Frybread Drive-In Anthology Features Three CN Citizens by Lindsey Bark from Cherokee Phoenix. PEEK: “Being a part of an Indigenous collective of authors allowed them to expose a younger audience to stories that they might see themselves in. ‘I like seeing and being a part of accurate, legitimate representation. I love knowing the kinds of stories I didn’t have access to as a kid will be available for Cherokee kids, as well as readers who need exposure to contemporary Native people,’ Rogers said.”
Reads for the Rest of Us: Most Anticipated Feminist Reads of 2025 by Karla J. Strand from Ms. Magazine. PEEK: “Selected by bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, the stories in this intertribal collection were contributed by writers such as Cheryl Isaacs, Darcie Little Badger, Kaua Mahoe Adams, and more.”
Taco Knights, A Mexican Romeo and Juliet, Goats: Ten Children’s Books to Read in August by Caroline Carlson from Lit Hub. PEEK: “Some…are starting out at new schools or moving to new towns. Others are navigating changing family situations and suddenly tricky friendships. Some are knights barging into villages and demanding affection; others are goats who show up one day…All are searching for their own place in the world—and in readers’ hearts.”
- Amazon.com #1 Release in Short Stories in Teen and Young Adult Literature
- American Booksellers Association Indie Bestsellers List
- Common Sense Selection for Teens
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- Kids’ Indie Next List