Synopsis
Summary
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.
Edited by Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this anthology includes stories from Indigenous authors 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.
Notable Achievements
Reviews
Publishers Weekly: "[A] liminal-feeling collection, which pays tribute to the Native traditions and intergenerational relationships preserved by the 'run-down, neon' drive-in."
Kirkus: "The emotional core of the book feels deftly balanced... Across the board, the authors write lifelike characters; even when the setting is fantastical, the well-wrought characterizations are rooted in realism... Superlative."
School Library Journal: "As readers take in the stories, they will be transported time and time again to Sandy June’s, where the protagonists get more than just frybread. Each teen gets exactly what they need—and readers do too. Hand this collection to any reader who is looking for a place made for them; they will find it between these pages."
Booklist: "A mixture of award-winning authors and new voices use this liminal space in surprising and inventive ways, creating a microcosm of the interconnectedness of modern Indigenous life, one in which community and family, past and present, encourage its young visitors to inhabit their truest selves as they look toward the future. It is also simply a terrific collection of entertaining stories—full of laughter, music, delicious food, friendship, and romance—that will appeal to teen readers across age ranges, identities, and interests."
Link to Review
The Horn Book: "The literary conceit that unifies these stories is a magical 'NDN Country' frybread drive-in that serves up Native comfort food and wisdom, a 'collective dream' where young people in need of connection or healing find themselves among an intertribal community of all ages... Many stories mention historical events and all of them touch on family heritage, they also feel quite of-the-moment."
Educator Guide
Heartdrum’s in house Teaching Guide offers educators a well of helpful information for several of their published books, including bios from authors and as well illustrators, a summarization of the book, and several meaningful questions to help guide student discussions about the material.
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