Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair

Ly-Lan Finds a Way #2

by Hà Dinh

Sometimes life is not fair! In this second book in the Ly-Lan Finds A Way chapter book series about a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Ly-Lan navigates the school book fair—complete with anticipation and disappointment, surprising injustices (why did prices go up?), and finding a way to thrive.

Ly-Lan couldn‘t be more excited for the book fair to come to her school. She’s going to buy the latest book in her favorite series, The Adventures of Pizza Head, two cute posters, and some pencils with a squishy top. But when she realizes that not all kids have money to buy books at the Book Fair, she wonders if the Book Fair is actually fair. At Sunday School, Ly-Lan learns that God is always just and fair, and wonders how she can help make it fair for everyone at school. Ly-Lan wants to help but that’s turning out to be much more difficult than she imagined. But if there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s problem solving and finding a way.

Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book

Is the second in a series of illustrated chapter books about the irrepressible Ly-LanIs written by Vietnamese American author Hà Dinh, creator of HappyDaysinFirstGrade.com and @hellomrsdinh on InstagramTackles familiar themes like friendship, overcoming obstacles, and navigating changes and challenges in life with gracePerfect for kids ages 6-10 just starting to read chapter books on their own. 

Genres: Christian

96 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[ray ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc!!

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ly-Lan eagerly awaits her school book fair. As she counts down the days, she asks her parents how much money they will give her to spend at this year’s book fair. Instead of offering to give her money, her parents’ response baffles her. They tell her she is getting older, and she will need to spend her own money.

The travesty!

She feels immensely disappointed. She needs to solve this terrible problem.

Along the way, she encounters injustices that feel even worse. She realizes there are children in the school who cannot afford even a single book, including some of her friends.

She wonders how she can support her friends and these other students.

This is such a sweet book. The characters are well-drawn and feel true to life. My daughters are both in elementary school, and this book touches on so many themes I hear them discuss with their friends at school.

I absolutely loved Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zonderkidz for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Stephanie Daige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated that the author explained the pronunciation of the main character's name right at the beginning, and I really enjoyed the glossary in the back of the book of Vietnamese phrases used throughout the book.
I really liked the message that God's goodness is shown through the good things that we do for others. This book teaches kids about needs versus wants, and to save up their chore money to buy what they want, and to not expect to keep receiving things for free without working for them. It explains planning, prioritizing, and budgeting. I love that these kids are feeling the pinch of inflation. 🤣
It also demonstrates the importance of generosity and sensitivity when dealing with money matters.
It was great how the characters learned to share and be considerate of others, and to resolve their conflict.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Chapter Books

About this book:

“Sometimes life is not fair! In this second book in the Ly-Lan Finds a Way chapter book series about a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Ly-Lan navigates the school book fair—complete with anticipation and disappointment, surprising injustices (why did prices go up?), and finding a way to thrive.
Ly-Lan couldn‘t be more excited for the book fair to come to her school. She’s going to buy the latest book in her favorite series, The Adventures of Pizza Head, two cute posters, and some pencils with a squishy top. But when she realizes that not all kids have money to buy books at the Book Fair, she wonders if the Book Fair is actually fair. At Sunday School, Ly-Lan learns that God is always just and fair, and wonders how she can help make it fair for everyone at school. Ly-Lan wants to help but that’s turning out to be much more difficult than she imagined. But if there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s problem solving and finding a way.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Ly-Lan Finds a Way” series. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- Going to Sunday school and learning about God being just and fair;
Talks about God & Him being fair; Mentions of God; A couple mentions of Sunday school classes and lessons; A mention of a cross on the wall of Ly-Lan’s bedroom (also shown in an illustration);
*Note: Mentions of magical creatures like unicorns and mermaids.


Negative Content- N/A.
*Note: Ly-Lan is upset that her parents won’t give her money for the Book Fair like they usually do because they want her to use the money she has (they work a deal for her to earn more by doing more chores and speaking Vietnamese more at home); Ly-Lan also gets upset that the Book Fair at her school isn’t fair because not every kid can buy something there (but she offers a solution to help with that).


Sexual Content- N/A.

-Ly-Lan Tran, age 8
P.O.V. of Ly-Lan

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Four Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)

We start this book with a quick little recap of the events in the first book in this series, “Ly-Lan and the New Class Mix-up”, and then it’s time to learn that the Book Fair is happening soon! I was in private school for a couple years before being homeschooled when I was about Ly-Lan’s age and the Book Fair was very exciting! Based off this story though, I would say prices have gone up in almost twenty years, haha!

Ly-Lan has a good heart, but she definitely has lessons to learn—like we all do at that age. It’s a bit of a simple plot, but I think that’s due to it being for younger readers than I usually read and review for.



Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Zonderkidz) for this honest review.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked watching Ly-Lan learn how to use her chore money wisely, choosing between a scooter with a helmet or a new book from her favorite series because she doesn’t have enough for both. The story does a great job teaching kids about fairness, the difference between wants and needs, and the importance of sharing with those who need it most. I especially appreciated the message that the good we do is an expression of God’s love.

I also loved the “Change to Make Change” idea, where the kids pool their spare change to help others, even though donating money isn’t always culturally encouraged. The book handles that tension really thoughtfully, including the lesson from her parents about not imposing money on others.

My biggest concern is that Ly-Lan’s confusion about the book fair “not being fair” is brushed off by the adults in her life. Instead, they keep telling her she’s misunderstanding when she’s really asking valid questions.

The inclusion of Vietnamese words is wonderful, and I love that her parents encourage her bilingualism (though personally, I don’t know if I’d pay my kid to practice another language!). The kids’ problems and solutions feel refreshingly true to life, which you don’t always get in children’s books. And the QR code at the end, where the author pronounces the Vietnamese terms, is a great touch.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zonderkidz, and Hà Dinh for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair will be published January 13, 2026.

[Kuu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

As a note to other potential readers, Christianity plays quite a role here, as Ly-Lan attends Christian Sunday school and much of her motivation for being good in this book comes from what her Sunday school teacher told her. I didn't see this part mentioned anywhere, so I figured I would mention it, in case this religious aspect matters to any other potential readers.

This was a cute book about fairness and sharing, as well as about assumptions and the value of money/needing to work for your things. Ly-Lan, who wants to buy a book and some posters at the yearly book fair, but also wants to buy a scooter, has to earn money as her parents no longer want to just give her the book fair money, so she does that by speaking Vietnamese to her parents and doing extra chores. However, she is still able to buy less than previously as the prices went up (not even children's books are safe from inflation!), and feels bad until she notices that other kids do not have the money to buy anything at all. It makes her think about fairness, how it is not fair to her that the prices went up, and how it is even more unfair that other children just cannot buy any books at all.

She and her friend Cece decide to donate their change so that this money can be used to help other children buy books, and there are several other episodes in this book where the importance and positive feelings of sharing are emphasised. A very cute book, with a good message. I'd just have liked if the art was in colour instead of black-and-white!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ly-Lan loves the book fair. She loves buying books and posters and buttons. She has calculated how much money she needs, but is shocked to find that, gasp, the price of books and posters has gone up in price. She doesn’t have enough money. She figures she can just ask her parents for more, but finds that, wow, they want her to earn it.


She notices that a new girl isn’t buying books or posters or anything. She realizes that some kids might not be able to get money from their parents, so decides to start a tip jar, so that kids can get at least one book.


In the meantime, once she has saved up enough to get the one book she wants, her friend buys the last one. What will she do?


This is a cute story of ways to solve a problem. How to show friendship, and help others less fortunate than you, and also how to share.


I enjoyed this, because Ly-Lan is a typical third grader, thinking she should get what she wants, and not understanding that it doesn’t always work out that way. This book also brings religion into the mix, but it isn’t too heavy handed about it.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 13th of January 2026.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Ly Lan you sweet, sweet soul. I love these books. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book early! The book follows Ly Lan as the book fair comes to her school. She's SO excited to buy the newest in her favorite book series, but when she gets there she realizes prices have gone up and she doesn't have enough. She earns more money from doing jobs for her parents. I love that they don't just hand her the money! Anywho, she also realizes her friend doesn't have any money to buy a book and its just not fair. It's not fair that prices went up and that prices are so high it leaves some kids out. She comes up with a Change for a Change jar where kids can donate their change in order to raise money for kids who can't afford books. She doesn't want to buy stuff for herself until she's made enough money to allow her friend to buy a book too. By the time she does, her favorite book is gone. Furthermore, she finds out her friend didn't want her donation and it was all a misunderstanding, but there are other kids who can benefit from the cause. I love Ly Lan's heart and the way she feels so genuine with great guidance and support through her parents and teachers. Love this series!

[Kimberly Horch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My two third-graders and I are loving this series of realistic, and happy early chapter books. They have a depth that most chapter books don't, introducing big real-world problems in a very kid-sized way. This one introduces wants vs. needs, and the idea that not all kids have money for what they need. I love that it tackles right and wrong ways to go about solving this problem.

The story talks about God and his goodness, and how when we do good to others we are showing his goodness. The references to God in the story feel authentic, not forced at all, and not denomination-specific. It is not preachy or overdone, so even for readers who aren't Christian, I would consider this story a great window into the perspective of Christian families like Ly-Lan's.

It's also very cool to have a main character of Vietnamese descent. The story does a wonderful job of sharing some of her family's lifestyle and language. A great opportunity for kids to understand how someone can be both different, and very similar to them.

This series is so rich in content and vocabulary, a HUGE contrast to so many books at this level. Really it's wonderful how much is packed into this little book... but the kids will love it for the joy, and how relatable the characters and their situations are!

[Princesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair is a heartwarming and timely sequel in the Ly-Lan Finds a Way series by Hà Dinh that perfectly captures the magic—and the challenges—of a school book fair. Third grader Ly-Lan walks in bursting with excitement to find the newest book in her beloved Adventures of Pizza Head series, only to discover that rising prices mean not every child will get to leave with a book. What starts as a simple shopping trip quickly becomes a meaningful lesson in fairness, empathy, and courage.

With her trademark kindness and unstoppable enthusiasm, Ly-Lan refuses to ignore the problem. Instead, she looks for creative ways to help, showing young readers that even kids can make a difference when they lead with compassion. Themes of friendship, problem-solving, resilience, and navigating change are woven seamlessly into the story, making it both engaging and deeply encouraging.

I also loved how naturally the author highlights Ly-Lan’s Vietnamese American heritage. The inclusion of Vietnamese words, along with a helpful glossary, adds cultural richness and invites children to appreciate diversity while recognizing how similar families and friendships truly are.

This is a delightful chapter book for children ages 6–9 who are beginning to read independently, and it would also make a wonderful read-aloud for younger children (ages 4–5). It’s exactly the kind of story that sparks thoughtful conversations about kindness, fairness, and generosity.

As a homeschooling mom, I’m always searching for books that nurture a love of reading while also building character, and this one does both beautifully. I look forward to reading more from this wonderful new-to-me author.

Thank you to Zonderkidz for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from ZonderKids through the SLJ Day of Dialogue October 2025.
Ly-Lan learns some serious lessons about spending money, sharing, and not jumping to conclusions in this second volume. The Book Fair has arrived and she is excited to purchase the latest book in her favorite series. When she and her friend go to the Fair, she learns about inflation as the prices have gone up. Readers see her struggle with this and with having to use her own money to purchase items. She figures out how to raise the money she needs while still saving for something else she wants. She also learns not to jump in to help without asking first.

[Megan Beech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little middle grade book for young readers who are looking for a new and different kind of book to read.

The chapters are easy to read and carry a wonderful message about the fairness of God even if we don't always agree or understand why. I love the vocabulary with the glossary to aid in teaching students a new language and the diversity of the story. It's a great Christian story even for an older audience like myself.

I highly recommend this story and hope y'all take the chance to check it out and enjoy it like I did.

I received this ARC book complimentary from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
#LyLanandtheUnfairBookFair #NetGalley

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in Ha Dinh's "Ly-Lan Makes a Way" series and is the perfect follow-up to Ly-Lan and the New Class Mix-up. In "Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair", Ly-Lan suddenly realizes that not every student has money to spend at her beloved book fair. And as is her way, she sets about trying to solve the problem.

As always, Ha writes about topics kids can relate to (who doesn't love the book fair?) and creates characters we can all connect with. It's a great series for elementary readers - especially families who are looking for faith elements in stories. This is another must-add to any home or classroom library!

[Kristina P (ARC Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

PUBLISH DATE: Jan 13, 2026

This is a cute simple chapter book that talks to kids about things being fair. I love that in one part of the book the author references that God can use US to spread His kindness (by being fair). This is a cute book that can allow kids to empathize with Ly-Lan and how she feels when she believes something to be unfair, but to also help show them how to think about others instead and how they can help others have a better experience.

I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

BOOK TITLE: Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair
AUTHOR: Ha Dinh
ILLUSTRATOR: Tracy Nishimura Bishop
PUBLISHER: Zonderkiz
FORMAT: e-book
PAGES: 96

[Kerisa Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

My littles ones and I loved this story! I’m very excited to revisit the story and recreate our own little book fair at home where the kids can practice buying items, counting money, and calculating what they can buy and how much they have leftover just like Ly-Lan. The opportunity to use this book as an introduction to money/math is so wonderful as a homeschooling family. I love the themes in this book and how sweet/thoughtful the characters are, the traits of the characters in this book are ones that I hope instill in my own kids.

[Maria Wen Adcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair is the 2nd book in the "Ly-Lan Finds a Way" series. This book can stand by itself even if someone has not read the first book yet. In this story, Ly-Lan realizes that the school book fair isn't necessarily fair when not everyone can afford to buy something. She brainstorms ways to help others and implements these ideas at school. The author does a great job tapping into this age group's emotional ups and downs and shows young readers that they, too, can find a way to overcome obstacles. Recommend!

[Kim-Hoa Ung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this Ly-Lan series by Hà Dinh and Tracy Nishimura Bishop! The protagonist is such a cute and spunky character full of heart. Each book in the series can stand on its own. I love how this one included the setting of the book fair. We all love book fairs and it was interesting to see the concerns of cost and affordability for all students. I love how Ly-Lan is a good problem-solver and a kind person. This is a wonderful story by Hà Dinh with beautiful illustrations by Tracy Nishimura Bishop. Highly recommended!

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I had enjoyed the first book in this series and was happily surprised to see the adventures of Ly-Lan to be continued. This book is another time Ly-Lan gets mixed up but the result is others getting books too so it all ends well. I really enjoy this little girls spunk!