The Way to Rio Luna

The Way to Rio Luna tells the poignant story of Danny Monteverde, an eleven-year-old who has been in and out of foster homes since his older sister, Pili, disappeared from their group home years ago. Danny refuses to believe Pili abandoned him; instead, he holds onto the magical idea that she's found her way to Rio Luna, an enchanted world from a book they both cherished. His faith begins to waver until a mysterious book with a map to Rio Luna appears, igniting a desperate quest to find his sister. This chapter book blends realistic themes of loss, foster care, and sibling separation with a captivating portal fantasy adventure, making it suitable for ages 4-11. It explores resilience, the power of belief, and the enduring bond of family.

Eleven-year-old Danny Monteverde believes in magic, he believes that the enchanted land of Rio Luna in his older sister's favorite book is real, and most of all he believes that if he can find the way to Rio Luna he will find his sister Pili there, because he does not believe that his sister would run away from the group home where they lived and leave him behind; but after years of being passed from one foster family to another his faith begins to fade--until one day he finds a mysterious book in the library that contains a map to Rio Luna...and a way to find Pili.