cover reveal: Legendary FryBread Drive-In

I didn’t think I needed to see the cover because this one had me at the title: Legendary FryBread Drive-In. It’s so imaginative, isn’t it? I placed my ARC request on Edelweiss. Reading the list of contributors moved me to add the book to my library’s order list. And the cover? Yes, I most certainly needed to see that cover! Editor Cynthia Leitich Smith describes it best, saying that “The cover beckons. The shining light of the drive-in evokes the warmth, healing, and joy found in the collected writings. Details in the artwork—beadwork, rez dog, denim and ribbons—will feel familiar to Native readers and offer a rare invitation to non-Natives. I’m deeply grateful to Shoshone-Bannock and Chippewa Cree illustrator Paula TopSky Houtz.”

LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN
edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover art by Paula TopSky Houtz, cover design by Molly Fehr (Heartdrum, Aug. 26, 2025). Ages 12+ (middle school and high school).

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.

Featuring stories and poems by: 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.

Follow: @kauawrites @sailormarcella @angelineboulley @ka_cobell @ajeversole @jdotferg @makwa_giniw @katehartbooks @pawprintsinthesink @karinaiceberg @cherisaacs @dr.littlebadger @davidrobertsonwriter @andrealrogers @cynthialeitichsmith @byoungwrites @sljournal @theshelfstuff @epicreads @weneeddiversebooks

Heartdrum is a Native-focused imprint of HarperChildren’s in partnership with We Need Diverse Books.

Filed under: Covers