Summer of the Monkeys: Chapters 9–13

by Wilson Rawls
When 14-year-old Jay Berry Lee learned that there was a big reward for the return of the monkeys he and his hound Rowdy had discovered in the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma, he was determined to catch them and win the reward for his family. He learned a lot about monkeys that summer, but it was the greater lessons about life and family that mattered the most.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–5, Chapters 6–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–19
15 words 33 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. consider
    give careful thought to
    I always felt guilty fooling my old dog that way, but the idea of going anywhere close to those monkeys without him was something I wouldn’t even consider.
  2. commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    Leaving the game trail, I started picking my way through the underbrush in the direction of the commotion.
  3. determination
    firmness of purpose
    There was one thing I could say for Jimbo, he had an awful lot of determination.
  4. persimmon
    orange fruit resembling a plum; edible when fully ripe
    I had such a nasty taste in my mouth it reminded me of the time I had eaten some green persimmons.
  5. wonderment
    the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
    A little farther along, just as Rowdy and I rounded a bend in the road, I stopped and stared in wonderment at the sight directly ahead.
  6. splotch
    an irregularly shaped spot or patch
    Here and there on the long sloping hillside, milky white splotches stood out like spilt buckets of milk in the deep green.
  7. codger
    an eccentric elderly man
    Looking at Grandpa, Mama said, “Papa, this is the silliest thing I ever heard of, an old codger like you, going to town to read monkey books.”
  8. covey
    a small flock of birds
    A man and his wife passed by. They had so many kids following along behind them they looked like a covey of quails.
  9. dander
    a feeling of anger and animosity
    It’s not a good idea to laugh at two old men when their dander’s up.
  10. liable
    likely to be or do something
    There’s no telling what they’re liable to do.
  11. thimble
    a small metal cap to protect the finger while sewing
    When the girl came back, I waited while she put the ribbons in a small paper sack, then I said, “How much are those thimbles?”
  12. halter
    rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading
    As we tied the halter ropes of the mares to the gum tree, Grandpa said, “As thirsty as I am, I think I’d walk a mile for a cool drink.”
  13. heifer
    young cow
    Daisy and I took turn-about claiming Sally Gooden’s calves. Even in that deal, I always came out on the short end. Every time it was Daisy’s turn, Sally Gooden had a heifer calf.
  14. humdinger
    something or someone of remarkable excellence
    “It was a humdinger all right,” Daisy said. “With all that rain, I bet Papa’s corn will grow twenty feet tall.”
  15. fascinate
    cause to be interested or curious
    There was something about the work that fascinated me: the flying sparks and the ringing anvil, the cherry-red metal and the roaring forge.
Created on Fri Dec 05 18:22:22 EST 2025 (updated Fri Jan 09 18:09:22 EST 2026)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.