Ava Lin, Best Friend!

by Vicky Fang Narrated by Vicky Fang

Overview

Brand-new first grader Ava Lin is determined to find a best friend-even if she's a bit unclear on how to go about it-in this launch of a funny, super relatable chapter-book series.

Ava Lin is six and a half years old, and she loves bubble tea, finding treasures, and animals (note the 117 varieties of pets on her wish list). She's very good at drawing and balancing pasta on her nose. And there's a Very Exciting Thing happening in her life right now: tomorrow is her first day of first grade! Which means she gets a new backpack, new pencils, and a new lunch box. But what she really wants to get in first grade is a best friend, which isn't as easy as she thought.

Ava's quest has her navigating some confusing social rules, with unintentionally comical results-but she always manages to wriggle out of her mishaps in ways young readers will find very familiar. With an engaging text, Vicky Fang draws on her Chinese American family's experience to create a heroine kids will instantly love.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Told through a combination of prose and grayscale illustrations (some in graphic novel–style panels), Ava’s story is a wonderful combination of laughs and drama that will keep young readers engaged—and eager to read future books in this new series. . . . A funny, charming series opener.
—Kirkus Reviews

Hilarious and endearing, Ava Lin is a worthy companion to beloved chapter book heroines like Dory Fantasmagory.
—Literary Hub

This is an adorable and hilarious start to a new chapter book series for early readers. . . charming and relatable.
—Book Riot

Kirkus Reviews

2024-03-23
Ava is ready to find her best friend!

Six-year-old Ava Lin has the best snacks for lunch, pockets filled with treasures, and a list of 117 animals that might make a good pet. She does not, however, have a best friend. Luckily, she can look to her cousin Nikki for guidance; Nikki met her best friend in first grade, and as a fifth grader, she now has someone who’s always there for her. As Ava gets ready for her first day of first grade, she knows that she’ll find her best friend this year, just like Nikki. At first, things go well. Ava is seated next to generous Kushi, whose backpack features a picture of a fox (Ava loves foxes!). Then things take a turn. The rules of friendship are hard to decipher, Ava upsets her mom when she leaves a crayon in her pocket and ruins the laundry, and she makes a mistake that necessitates a trip to the doctor. Though Ava is realistically impulsive, she’s also emotionally perceptive and creative, both qualities that help her find solutions to her problems. Told through a combination of prose and grayscale illustrations (some in graphic novel–style panels), Ava’s story is a wonderful combination of laughs and drama that will keep young readers engaged—and eager to read future books in this new series. Ava and her family are of Chinese descent, while the artwork depicts Kushi as darker-skinned than Ava; other characters are illustrated with a range of skin tones.

A funny, charming series opener. (Chapter book. 5-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940193959991
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/10/2025
Series:	Ava Lin , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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