The Way to Rio Luna: Chapters 8–10

by Zoraida Córdova
Foster children Danny and his older sister Pili share a love for a book of fairy tales. When Pili disappears, Danny embarks on an enchanted quest to find her with the help of new friends, some of the fairy tale characters, and magic.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–10, Chapters 11–14, Chapters 15–18, Chapters 19–23
15 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. chameleon
    a changeable or inconstant person
    Danny was many things. He was a chameleon who could fade into the background.
  2. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    For the moment, he was safe. Even though he’d done a reckless thing, part of him felt free.
  3. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    Danny felt a bit sheepish, but he walked closer to her desk station.
  4. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    She shrugged and had a skeptical look in her eyes. “I’m not supposed to eat ice cream for dinner, but I do it anyway.”
  5. emphatically
    in a forceful manner; with emphasis
    She nodded emphatically, then sighed. “It’s a pity the other archeologists didn’t stick around for this. But Auntie North will help us.”
  6. imposition
    an uncalled-for burden
    He didn’t want to be an imposition, but he also couldn’t deny that he was still hungry.
  7. unearth
    recover through digging
    “Rest assured, not everyone in my field is lucky enough to find the artifacts I do.”
    “Why’s that?” Danny asked.
    “Because they’re trying to dig up the past to put it in display boxes. I’m trying to unearth magic.”
  8. gargoyle
    an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure
    As they approached, Danny could see the knocker was shaped like a gargoyle head.
  9. labyrinth
    complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
    The brownstone building was practically a labyrinth.
  10. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
    There was an entire display case filled with daggers encrusted with opulent jewels.
  11. cloister
    residence that is a place of religious seclusion
    “I thought the arrows only appeared to kids like Glory and me.”
    “This particular book was found during a dig, actually,” Auntie North told him, sipping her tea calmly, though her foot was bouncing a bit. “Up in the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.”
  12. barter
    exchange goods without involving money
    “Hans Christian Andersen bartered with a mermaid who lived in the cold waters of the Odense Fjord.”
  13. fjord
    a long narrow inlet of the sea between steep cliffs
    “Hans Christian Andersen bartered with a mermaid who lived in the cold waters of the Odense Fjord.”
  14. outraged
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    “Why don’t more people know about this?” Danny asked, feeling almost outraged.
  15. talon
    a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
    In the bathroom, Glory showed Danny how the knobs worked. There were four of them for some reason, and the tub was one of those old kinds that had feet shaped like giant bird talons.
Created on Wed Oct 29 21:52:15 EDT 2025 (updated Mon Dec 22 19:05:22 EST 2025)

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