Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair

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......more

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 i......more

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 par......more

Last time round ([URL not allowed]), this series started with the fairly familiar "it's a new school, but why can't I have my old friends back?!" dilemma – but with many added layers. Here, too, I was able to guess what might be unfair about the Unfair Book Fair – people argui......more

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 ne......more