The Story
An exciting, full-color early chapter fantasy series about a powerful group of ten-year-olds who, along with their legendary ally animals, must work together to find their voices and help heal a broken world, from the author of the award-winning Nguyen Kids
Welcome to the magical world of Van Lang, where in every generation, a team of four adventurous kids and their magical ally animals come together to help their communities recover from The Dark Times.
When ten-year-old Starbright Mai is chosen as the newest member of Van Lang's Legendary Allies Team by a phoenix named Ruby, her whole world changes overnight. Mai is thrust into a world of secret quests and magical powers. But she struggles to fit in with her new team; and why did Ruby, whose magical power is to heal, choose Mai anyway? Before long Mai starts to feel like her place on the team is all a big mistake.
But when the Legendary Allies get word of an illness, they must act quickly to help save the community. With all of Van Lang counting on them, Mai discovers a key to the cure: will her teammates believe her? And can she find the strength to believe in herself?
In this first installment of a four-book series, award-winning author Linda Trinh explores themes of social justice, empathy, and resilience. Vibrant, full-color illustrations by Quynh Ahn Nguyen bring the world of Van Lang brilliantly to life.
Author: Linda Trinh
Publisher: Annick Press
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 172
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.84lbs
Size: 7.80h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781834020693
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2026
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
About the Author
LINDA TRINH is the award-winning Vietnamese Canadian author of The Nguyen Kids series. Her writing for children and adults explores identity, cultural background, and spirituality. She lives in Winnipeg with her family.
QUYNH ANH NGUYEN is a Vietnamese illustrator based in Oakville, Canada. She is a recent graduate of Sheridan's Illustration Program and her favorite thing is exploring storytelling through different types of media.
Description
An exciting, full-color early chapter fantasy series about a powerful group of ten-year-olds who, along with their legendary ally animals, must work together to find their voices and help heal a broken world, from the author of the award-winning Nguyen Kids
Welcome to the magical world of Van Lang, where in every generation, a team of four adventurous kids and their magical ally animals come together to help their communities recover from The Dark Times.
When ten-year-old Starbright Mai is chosen as the newest member of Van Lang's Legendary Allies Team by a phoenix named Ruby, her whole world changes overnight. Mai is thrust into a world of secret quests and magical powers. But she struggles to fit in with her new team; and why did Ruby, whose magical power is to heal, choose Mai anyway? Before long Mai starts to feel like her place on the team is all a big mistake.
But when the Legendary Allies get word of an illness, they must act quickly to help save the community. With all of Van Lang counting on them, Mai discovers a key to the cure: will her teammates believe her? And can she find the strength to believe in herself?
In this first installment of a four-book series, award-winning author Linda Trinh explores themes of social justice, empathy, and resilience. Vibrant, full-color illustrations by Quynh Ahn Nguyen bring the world of Van Lang brilliantly to life.
Author: Linda Trinh
Publisher: Annick Press
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 172
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.84lbs
Size: 7.80h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781834020693
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2026
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
About the Author
LINDA TRINH is the award-winning Vietnamese Canadian author of The Nguyen Kids series. Her writing for children and adults explores identity, cultural background, and spirituality. She lives in Winnipeg with her family.
QUYNH ANH NGUYEN is a Vietnamese illustrator based in Oakville, Canada. She is a recent graduate of Sheridan's Illustration Program and her favorite thing is exploring storytelling through different types of media.
