Come along in this trip as Sienna and her imaginary spaniel friend Rufus set out on an investigation to find her missing mother Kate, who vanished during a research trip to China. Moving from London to Shanghai, Sienna hopes that luck will be on her side as she refuses to accept her dad’s idea that her mother is gone forever. Feeling frightened and unable to speak Mandarin-Chinese, she is determined to find any kind of clue that may help her reunite with her mother. Upon her arrival to Shanghai, she quickly settles into an apartment with a woman her dad has hired named Ling, a language instructor and a minder.
Sienna realizes that Ling is a difficult and controlling person who refuses to take an eye away from her for a split second. One day while her dad is away on business, Sienna catches Ling doing something sinister, and realizes she’s likely involved in Kate’s disappearance. Sienna goes to Ling to confront her about the situation, only to put herself in danger. Realizing that staying in the apartment does more harm than good, she runs out of the apartment with Ling in her pursuit, and is saved by a boy named Feng who pulls her to safety. Out of sight of the nasty lady, both of them learn something that turns this search party into something more mysterious. With the help of Feng, and the scant amount of clues they have, they decide to take a night train that ultimately leads them to new friends, new places, and even more imaginary animals, but more importantly, the hidden truth behind their missing loved ones. Moon Princess is a joy for any young reader who is interested in mystery and fantasy, and is guaranteed to set the imaginative mind on fire.