Rio, an Earth Gem, is eager to earn his first gemstone inorder to do more for his animal neighbors. One afternoon, a fox bounds up toRio, clearly in distress. Another fox is lost inside the nearby Crystal Caves!

Without waiting for his fellow Gems, Rio heads into thecaves. Once inside, finding a lost fox proves trickier than Rio thought itwould be. He’s worried he might get lost himself!

About the author

Payal Doshi is the author of Rea and the Blood of theNectar, a middle grade fantasy novel and recipient of the IPPY Gold Award. Heryoung adult short story, A Confluence of Fates, can be found in the YAanthology, My Big, Fat, Desi Wedding. Her forthcoming four-book series ofchapter books, Magic Gems, published by Scholastic Inc. will be available in2026. Payal has an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from The New School, NewYork. When she isnt writing, you can find her nose deep in a book with a cupof coffee or daydreaming of fantasy realms to send her characters into. Bornand raised in Mumbai, India, she currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesotawith her husband and daughter. She loves writing stories that celebrate andchampion her South Asian heritage.