The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Cordova.
Scholastic, New York, 2020
MG fantasy, 238 pages.
Lexile: 710L .
AR Level: 5.0 (worth 10.0 points) .
Danny Monteverde has been in foster care for as long as he can remember, but it’s been much worse since his older sister Pili ran away. For years he took comfort in the book she left him, but since losing that he’s felt like giving up on fantasy.
I first came across this book through a review on Charlotte’s Library, and was intrigued as there aren’t many fantasy novels about children in foster care (enough to make a short list, but certainly nowhere near the level or quality of representation one could wish for). Thankfully, in most respects this book solidly delivers!
Every so often there’s one aspect of a book that bugs me enough to devote a few too many words to it. In this case it’s the same as the final line of Charlotte’s review – how was Danny able to leave the country? Adult readers should be aware, as foster parents and children in care likely know, it’s very unusual for foster children to be permitted to leave the country. I’ve only heard of one instance myself which took YEARS of planning and full buy-in from biological family, foster family, several social workers, CASA, judge, GAL, and a variety of supervisors. While local rules vary, often significant planning and advance notice are required to cross state or sometimes even county lines with a foster child.
The other issue is the one Charlotte mentioned, which is… how on earth was his passport from infancy still A) with him, and B) valid? I spent far too much time pondering this, until realizing a simple and blindingly obvious solution – it’s not a USA passport! While Danny’s ethnicity is not explicitly given, it’s possible for an Ecuadorian parent to obtain citizenship for a child born in another country. Said Ecuadorian passport would then allow Danny passage into many other countries – and the problem would be solved for every place they visit via non-magical means.
I don’t know how long an Ecuadorian passport is good, and it seems unusual (although very possible) that the foster care system doesn’t know he has dual citizenship. But I’m willing to assume those fall in favor of the author mainly because I’m so embarrassed at the US-centric thinking that made me assume the passport was from the USA!
I must admit another pet peeve – as much as I love the cover (with art by Erin McGuire and design by Keirsten Geise), it doesn’t seem to have been based on careful reading of the book, since Glory is several times described as having long hair – specifically braids that hang down her back. She does at one time even wear her hair partially up similarly to the illustration, but the rest of her hair would not be above the shoulder. The ‘torn’ cover faked me out a few times as well, but that aspect is text-appropriate and doesn’t throw one out of the reading the way learning that a character isn’t short-haired might.
It’s not until halfway through the book that Llewelyn the Fifteenth makes his regal appearance, but in my memory he certainly took up more than half a book. I was so delighted to see the Midwestern/Western US Jackalope depicted in a MG novel, and Cordova’s take on the legend is highly engaging. In fact, she has a number of fresh takes on fantastical ideas, from her guinea pig hero to the house party of Ollie Oshiro (a runaway king).
Concerns about passports aside, it was particularly refreshing to read a story where not every magical item or adventure was set within the borders of one conveniently located country or region. The magical quest and portal aspects of this were somewhat reminiscent of UnLunDun, although shorter and following the specified tasks much more closely. This would be a great pick for young readers who find that book too overwhelming.
I didn’t realize this was first in a series. Nothing about the publicity or the author’s website or the publisher information or any mark on the book itself suggest that it’s the start of a series, but it simply… has to be, given the ending. Cordova does like to write duologies and series, and the ending is just so very open. It’s hard to believe that even Scholastic (fairly notorious for not supporting diverse creators) wouldn’t pick up another volume or two.
Cordova has another, unrelated MG fantasy out this year, so I hope around 2024 we’ll see a companion volume. For those who can wait to find out what happens next, recommended.
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