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.

“★…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 emotional core of the book feels deftly balanced, ranging from touching moments of magical connection with loved ones to emotional explorations of feelings like grief, and regular teenage awkwardness and crushes….”

— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“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 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…”

—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“This is a story of that place and it’s told through the lives of the young people. Urban Native young adults from numerous intersecting identities venture to this communal space to meet a crush, read a poem, mourn, or reconnect with family.”

— School Library Journal

“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

“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

“…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