Legendary Frybread Drive-In: "Jilly Bean and Jessa Jean," by Angeline Boulley

by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In is a magical place where Indigenous teens can find love, support, comfort, and community — no matter where in space or time they come from.

Here are links to our lists for the last nine selections in this collection:
Momentum; I Love You, Grandson; The Rest Will Come; Language Lesson; Hearts Aflutter; Love Buzz; Jilly Bean and Jessa Jean; Kathy's Poem and Open Mic at the Drive-In
15 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. comprehension
    an ability to understand the meaning of something
    I watch for any sign of comprehension.
  2. quizzically
    in a questioning manner
    Her perfectly groomed eyebrows rise quizzically.
  3. posh
    elegant and fashionable
    Auntie makes a point of saying, “Old Town Alexandria,” so people will know it’s the posh area with homes that are on the historic register.
  4. inseparable
    not capable of being split
    She and I were inseparable—literally—her golden brown beachy waves interwoven with my dark brown hair in one shared, thick braid.
  5. literally
    in a sense limited to explicit meaning
    She and I were inseparable—literally—her golden brown beachy waves interwoven with my dark brown hair in one shared, thick braid.
  6. implication
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
    Mom got ticked off at the implication that I was the rez equivalent of a country mouse getting to see the big city.
  7. tethered
    confined or restricted with or as if with a rope or chain
    It’s like my cousin is tethered to me by an invisible braid that we cannot unravel until Labor Day.
  8. unravel
    disentangle
    It’s like my cousin is tethered to me by an invisible braid that we cannot unravel until Labor Day.
  9. compensation
    something given or received as payment or reparation
    Our Tribal Youth Council adviser had pointed out that the real tribe named in the story hadn’t received any compensation.
  10. authorize
    grant permission or clearance for
    Parker Kingfisher and I were on the same side of the debate that a tribe had the right to authorize the use of their name, like with copyright protections.
  11. repurpose
    adapt for a new use or format
    I walk over to the colorful woven serape he’s repurposed as a picnic blanket.
  12. admonishment
    a firm rebuke
    But Gramma Liz’s admonishment is still in the air, so I try the listening thing instead.
  13. allotted
    given as a task or a portion
    No one makes as many good points in the allotted debate time as I can.
  14. makeshift
    done or made using whatever is available
    We remain seated on the makeshift blanket.
  15. unison
    the state of corresponding exactly
    They sway in unison.
Created on Tue Feb 24 05:54:39 EST 2026 (updated Tue Mar 24 20:47:15 EDT 2026)

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