The Way to Rio Luna: Chapters 19–23

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. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    “I have to go to her. What’s the next test?” His body hummed with adrenaline.
  2. reliable
    able to be depended on; consistent or steady
    I don’t know if you’ve gotten any of my other messages. Not exactly sure how reliable parakeets are, but don’t tell Ollie I said that.
  3. reconvene
    meet or cause to meet again
    “It’s been a year now since I lost contact. We were supposed to reconvene, but none of her messages went through....”
  4. estrange
    remove from customary environment or associations
    "You see, Ella St. Clay was estranged from her loved ones, but she did have descendants who remembered her."
  5. vigil
    a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
    The people of the Kohlrabi Court tended to their sleeping king and held a silent vigil as they processed their defeat.
  6. sympathetic
    expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
    Orion snuggled close to his jackalope friend and let out a sympathetic whine.
  7. protocol
    code of correct conduct
    “She might have the keys, but the door won’t reveal itself to her until you speak the whole enchantment. Ella wrote in a safety protocol in case the keys were stolen.”
  8. causeway
    a road that is raised above water, marshland, or sand
    “What does that say?” Ollie wondered, squinting at the script. “I never could read Ella’s handwriting.”
    Danny tried not to snort, then said, “Giant’s Causeway.”
  9. amiss
    not functioning properly
    Danny looked for signs that the dark was moving around them, but as they reached the pillars of stone that led out to sea, nothing seemed amiss.
  10. consolation
    the act of giving relief in affliction
    Her skin sagged off her bones, as if the magic was leaving her and she was falling apart. The only consolation was that she was no longer wearing Leanna North’s likeness.
  11. underestimate
    make too low an approximation of
    When she smiled, she revealed sharp black teeth. “I keep underestimating you.”
  12. flounder
    move clumsily or struggle to move, as in mud or water
    The waves crashed and wrapped around him like arms. Llewelyn floundered as water licked at his face and closed over his eyes and nose.
  13. repel
    force or drive back
    The Shadow Queen flew to pick up the bean but the magic repelled her. She went flying into the waves.
  14. traverse
    journey across or pass over
    She was different than he remembered. But of course, it was inevitable to grow up, even when one traversed a fairyland.
  15. come full circle
    return to a starting point after many changes or new experiences
    Pili held Llewelyn’s paw until they came full circle: a group of misfits ready for anything.
Created on Wed Oct 29 23:36:38 EDT 2025 (updated Mon Dec 22 19:25:50 EST 2025)

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