The Very, Very Far North: Chapters 7–9

by Dan Bar-el
A friendly young polar bear named Duane moves to the Far North and meets several new friends, including an owl, a musk ox, and a puffin. Duane’s charming attitude of childlike wonder seems to turn every day into an adventure for him and his new friends.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Introduction–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11–Conclusion
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cordially
    in a politely friendly manner
    You are cordially invited to an afternoon tea at the residence of Handsome the musk ox, Esquire, who will host the affair with aplomb and watercress sandwiches, as well as fruit sorbets, shortbread, and tarts.
  2. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
    But Handsome was a friend, and Duane knew that Handsome preferred, as he put it, to obey the rules and etiquette of society in regard to the decorum of social gatherings both big and small.
  3. recount
    narrate or give a detailed account of
    When he reached the field that his friend called home, Duane confirmed his RSVP to the afternoon tea, which Handsome much appreciated, and then recounted how he had been spoken to over and over by two snow-covered hills, which Handsome did not appreciate.
  4. limerick
    a humorous rhymed verse form of five lines
    “I had an uncle who went daft. The amusement runs thin sooner than one might think. I don’t wish to go to the effort of serving you afternoon tea if you’re just going to wear the teacup on your head like a bonnet and recite limerick poems.”
  5. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “More reasonable?” asked Duane. He paused to mull that consideration over.
  6. exuberance
    joyful enthusiasm
    On the occasions that Magic visited later in the day, when he was awake, Duane found himself overwhelmed by her energy and exuberance.
  7. understatement
    something said in a restrained way for ironic contrast
    To say that Magic ruffled C.C.’s feathers was both an understatement and a statement of fact because at one point she came up to C.C. and said, “Can you really fly with those wings? I mean—really! If I had wings, they would have much longer feathers than those.”
  8. throes
    violent pangs of suffering
    Magic didn’t speak because Magic was in the deep throes of terror.
  9. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
    During that time, Magic continued to drop in, boisterous and loud as always, never a mention of the toboggan ride.
  10. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    He visited burrows he’d lived in from past years, but they looked worn and tired now; they lacked what Major Puff deemed “the proper puffin panache.”
  11. cusp
    the point of transition when something happens or changes
    At twilight’s cusp, Major Puff believed he had at last found success.
  12. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    “Do you live near here?” the hare shouted after him. “I’m new to the area. Just arrived. Chose this spot. Thought it was least likely to bring calamity and destruction upon myself, but you never know for sure, do you?”
  13. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    Major Puff was delighted to find the hare listening with rapt attention.
  14. discipline
    training to improve strength or self-control
    But regaining self-control, he made it clear that he wasn’t a puffin who compromised on discipline. “Let there be no mistake,” Major Puff began. “If I stay, I will practice my marching every morning and sometimes at night as well.”
  15. caliber
    a degree or grade of excellence or worth
    Major Puff paused. It was highly unusual for a puffin of his caliber to share his residence with a stranger.
Created on Thu Jan 08 20:22:49 EST 2026 (updated Tue Jan 20 12:36:13 EST 2026)

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