The Way to Rio Luna: Chapters 15–18

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. brooch
    a decorative pin
    It was a good thing Llewelyn’s acorn brooch kept him invisible, because he stuck his head out the window the whole time, shouting, “What great metal trees this realm has!”
  2. tarmac
    a paved road or surface, especially at an airport
    When they landed, Auntie North helped them all off the plane and onto the tarmac of a small airport.
  3. chortle
    laugh quietly or with restraint
    Llewelyn chortled. “Clearly this fellow has never had a royal guest.”
  4. hieroglyph
    a symbol in a pictorial writing system
    DO NOT ENTER. NO ENTRAR. It went on in a dozen languages and characters, even hieroglyphs!
  5. cordially
    in a politely friendly manner
    He wasn’t much for goodbyes and so he bowed cordially and got ready to jump.
  6. compassionate
    showing or having sympathy for another's suffering
    Being brave was easy. But being brave and compassionate, that took more.
  7. radiate
    send out real or metaphoric rays
    She was a splash of color in their day. Her light radiated from her.
  8. cultivate
    foster the growth of
    “ ‘Long ago, in the Forever Gardens, there was a beautiful young prince,’ ”
    Danny read. “ ‘Born with the power of the earth, he could cultivate anything he wanted.…’ ”
  9. infuriate
    make extremely angry
    ‘The prince gave up his claim to the throne even though it infuriated his parents....’
  10. archaeological
    relating to the study of historic or prehistoric peoples and cultures
    “You wouldn’t happen to have another archaeological site in Brazil, would you, Auntie North?” Danny asked.
  11. black hole
    (figurative) a place where people or objects disappear
    It was like floating inside a black hole. There was nothing, just him sinking. Then he realized the sea wasn’t a sea at all, but a mass of shadows waiting to break free.
  12. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Danny hadn’t ever seen her so disheveled.
  13. recluse
    one who lives in solitude
    If Sinchi was a recluse, the Kohlrabi King was the exact opposite. He seemed to love having people in his mansion.
  14. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    Glory sidled up closer to Danny, both of them staring at the man in awe.
  15. squire
    a young nobleman attendant on a knight
    “I am Llewelyn the Fifteenth, Prince of the Red Woods. We require your help, Your Highness. From one royal to another, of course. Oh, these are my charges, Glory, Danny, and my squire, Orion.”
    Danny and Glory exchanged a look. Orion barked in protest of being called a squire.
Created on Wed Oct 29 23:28:36 EDT 2025 (updated Mon Dec 22 19:18:08 EST 2025)

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