Tag: writing

Frybread and Love at Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In!

Lynn: 17 Indigenous teens, struggling with a variety of problems: unrequited love, grief, yearning for a future opposite a mother’s dreams, a young singer ready for his first gig, jealousy, stage fright, and more. The stories, each by a different indigenous author, are found in the new anthology, The Legendary Frybread Drive-in (HarperCollins/Heartdrum/2025), edited by Cynthia Leitich-Smith. The stories are tied together by one magical realism element. Manned by legendary elders, Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In appears when and where it is needed to  Indigenous teens from reservations all over the country.

Made of plain concrete block with a faded neon sign, Sandy June’s doesn’t look like much, but the food is delicious! Descriptions of frybread, Indian tacos, Buffalo stew, and other dishes made my mouth water!  The food is as healing as the tender, caring guidance of the elders who offer the teens a path to understanding their roots, their inner strengths, and their path – all based on generations of the love and experience of their ancestors.

I am a great fan of short story anthologies! Each new tale is like opening a surprise gift. I often have a chance to meet authors new to me and to discover something by a much-loved author. I especially enjoy anthologies with a theme and watching how the various authors play with that. Critics often deride them as “uneven” but to me, that is code for not liking some of the stories as much as others. That, it seems to me, is also a strength – there is something there for every taste. This charming book checked all the boxes for me. I especially loved the dual themes of the drive-in and the value and caring knowledge of the elders. As a doting grandmother, I highly appreciate this last one.

The stories are united in providing a hopeful ending to the searching teens, something that is important to teens of whatever culture, and especially to those of the indigenous nations. All are sweet without being cloying. They represent many tribes and many areas, and a glossary by chapter is provided for the various languages represented. Short biographies of the 17 authors are also added.

This is a definite purchase for all teen collections and a welcome addition everywhere. It is also just one great fun read! Bring on the frybread!

Can Composting be Fun?

Lynn: I would have thought composting would be one of the last subjects that could make an engaging picture book but Brianne Farley has done just that with Worm Makes a Sandwich (Putnam/Penguin Random, 2025). Farley comes at the subject somewhat sideways but this approach takes a potentially muddy subject and makes it funny and appealing to a young audience.

Pink and very polite, little worm asks readers if he can make them a sandwich.

“I know what you’re thinking…Worms don’t have hands. Worms cannot make sandwiches!”

Worm starts making the sandwich with delectable garbage, Sorry – NOT for your sandwich, the garbage is for me he tells us. And over the next pages, worm narrates while a little girl goes through the processes of adding garbage to a compost pile, then insect poop and the resulting dirt to the garden. Seed planting is next, and a lot of waiting for the plants to grow.

At one dark moment, worm has deep self-doubts about the success of this sandwich, but a red ripe tomato on the vine saves the day. And, indeed, the child makes a delicious sandwich with the tomato, allowing the worm to preen. A comic little touch at the end is a perfect dessert to follow.

Kids will love the story and the illustrations, which are created in watercolors, gouache, and colored pencils, and have wonderfully varied perspectives. Along the way with all the giggles, kids will learn a LOT about composting and how to do it.

Helpful back matter includes more information on composting, how to do it, what to use, the equipment needed, and why we should all be doing this.

The story is a fun read-aloud for classrooms, story hours, and laptime reading, and is an ideal STEM book. If you had no hands, could you make a sandwich?