An Author Interview with Ha Dinh

Ly-Lan Finds a Way is an illustrated early chapter book series for children ages 6-10 written by Vietnamese American author Hà Dinh. Through warm, relatable stories rooted in school life, family, and friendship, the series explores themes of resilience, empathy, fairness, and trusting God when things don’t go as planned. Designed especially for reluctant and emerging readers, Ly-Lan Finds a Way combines accessible chapter text with illustrations to support reading confidence while offering meaningful opportunities for classroom discussion and connection.

In this interview, author Hà Dinh shares the inspiration behind Ly-Lan, the importance of representation in early chapter books, and how educators and librarians can use the series to support young readers both academically and emotionally.

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What inspired you to create Ly-Lan and tell her story through an early chapter book series?

Thank you so much for allowing me to share more about Ly-Lan.

The inspiration for this series really came from my childhood experiences of being in separate classrooms from my friends, having to translate for new Vietnamese students in my elementary school, and learning how to navigate childhood with my friends, family, and faith in mind.

Ly-Lan is the first Vietnamese American main character in an early chapter book series in the US. Why was this representation especially important to you for young readers?

Yes, this was extremely important to me as this is a series that I wished I had growing up. My journey into publishing began with my desire to add Vietnamese American representation into children’s books for my own children and elementary-aged students. My hope is that children who can relate to Ly-Lan’s heritage and faith may find themselves represented and seen through her and those who want to learn more can do so in an entertaining and accessible way.

Each book centers on a familiar childhood challenge – friendship changes, fairness, and waiting. How did you choose these themes, and why do you think they resonate so strongly with kids ages 6-10?

Being a mom of young children and an elementary school teacher of many years gave me the opportunity to understand what I felt is important and relevant to today’s children. I wanted to layer classic themes with fresh challenges and insights from a main character who’s empowered yet empathetic, determined yet sensitive, and goal-oriented yet compassionate all at the same time. Because I believe that children are multi-dimensional and beautifully complex like adults, I wanted that understanding to be shown in Ly-Lan and all of her friends.

The series is designed for reluctant and emerging readers. What specific choices did you make – both in writing and structure – to help build reading confidence?

To make the text as accessible as I could for emerging readers, I wrote with simple sentence structures and I tried to fill the pages with a lot of humor and heart to help readers truly enjoy what they’re reading. If young readers are able to read what’s written and really enjoy it, it would encourage them to continue to read and build on their confidence as independent readers. 

In Ly-Lan and the New Class Mix-Up, Ly-Lan struggles when things don’t go the way she prayed or planned. What conversations do you hope this story sparks between children and adults?

I hope that children and adults will be encouraged to discuss various problem-solving strategies and positive ways to cope when things don’t go according to our plans. Disappointments, surprises, and detours are all very common and a part of growing up. However, if we’re able to help our children navigate through challenges, it would help our children to feel more empowered and confident.

The second book, Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair, explores questions of justice and empathy. Why did you want to tackle fairness at such a young age, and how do you see this story fitting into classroom or library discussions?

Since our understanding of abstract ideas such as fairness and justice forms in childhood and continues to develop as we grow and gain more experience in life, I feel that it’s important we tackle those topics head-on and explore them together. I believe that children are smart, inquisitive, and capable of understanding and applying them into their lives. Therefore, I wanted to create opportunities for young children to explore, discover, and share their understanding of these ideas and ways that they can bring fairness and justice into their own lives and their those around them.

Cultural details – like language, family dynamics, and celebrations such as the Mid-Autumn Festival –  are woven naturally into the stories. How did you approach including cultural representation in a way that feels accessible to all readers?

Thank you for recognizing the ways that I weaved cultural ideas into the story. My intent is to make the cultural aspects of Ly-Lan’s life as natural as possible and have that seamlessly reflected in the way that they’re introduced and connected to her overall story. Her culture is an essential aspect of her life, but so are her friendships, family life, school life, and faith.

Faith plays a gentle but meaningful role throughout the series. How did you balance faith-based themes with universal experiences so that the stories feel welcoming and relatable in a school setting?

Just as Ly-Lan’s culture is important to her overall story, her faith is equally important. While her faith guides her decisions and values, it’s Ly-Lan who decides how to find her own way through third grade. Giving her agency and sharing glimpses of how her faith affects her, I hope other children can see how they too can relate to her and her universal experiences.

Ly-Lan is a problem-solver who doesn’t give up easily. What qualities do you hope young readers will see in her, and perhaps begin to see in themselves?

Ly-Lan is curious, inquisitive, loves solving problems. I hope other children can see that they have agency in their own lives and do the same to help solve problems in their daily lives and possibly help their friends and others the best that they can.

What would you like educators and librarians to know about how the Ly-Lan Finds a Way series can support social-emotional learning, cultural awareness, and independent reading growth?

One of my favorite things about Ly-Lan is that she loves talking through her strong feelings and big ideas. She invites her friends, teachers, and loved ones to explore and help solve problems with her while she openly and thoughtfully expresses herself. I hope that this encourages students to be more open to share their strong feelings and big ideas when they’re faced with challenges.

I also hope this series allows teachers and librarians to encourage their students to share more about their own culture and how it’s reflected in their daily lives. As inviting as Ly-Lan is, I hope my writing is also inviting to emerging readers as they feel excited reading this series while building stronger reading skills.

Ly-Lan and the New Class Mix-Up GET THE BOOK

Ly-Lan and the Unfair Book Fair GET THE BOOK

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About the Author

Learn more about Hà Dinh and her work. >