Kira-Kira: Chapters 9-12

by Cynthia Kadohata
Kira-Kira tells the unforgettable story of sisters Katie and Lynn Takeshima. After their Japanese-American family moves to Georgia in the 1950s to build a new life, Katie and Lynn find hope through their unique way of seeing the world. But when Lynn develops lymphoma, Katie must help keep her family from falling apart while remembering everything her sister taught her.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-4 , Chapters 5-8, Chapters 9-12, Chapters 13-16
35 words 28 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stoop
    small porch or set of steps at the front entrance of a house
    We sat on the front stoop.
  2. union
    an employee organization that bargains with an employer
    She looked at my mother and said, “There’s a union meeting next Wednesday at the church on Frame Street.”
  3. humble
    marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful
    In my most humble opinion, Gregg was a little pukey.
  4. boisterous
    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
    Usually Uncle Katsuhisa was boisterous, but today when he came over, he was restrained.
  5. restrained
    under control
    Usually Uncle Katsuhisa was boisterous, but today when he came over, he was restrained.
  6. slate
    a writing tablet made of a thin layer of rock
    I picked up the “G” and returned it to my slate of letters, leaving “S” and “O.”
  7. ceremonious
    characterized by pomp and stately display
    David, who was always my pal, ceremoniously plucked a few letters from his collection and then set down his letters....
  8. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    When she was being obstinate, I had to force the pills down her throat and hold her mouth closed until she swallowed.
  9. heathen
    a person who does not acknowledge your god
    “You’re a heathen!” she said.
  10. vault
    a strongroom or compartment for safekeeping of valuables
    I didn’t see why a bunch of strangers got to keep everybody’s money in vaults.
  11. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    We pulled a bunch of chairs around the loan officer’s desk and sat mesmerized as he asked our parents for some papers that they’d already filled out.
  12. alcove
    a small recess opening off a large room or garden
    It was a small house, a lot like our apartment except for two extra rooms: a small dining room and a small alcove off the living room.
  13. flush
    sudden reddening of the face
    Pleasure flushed my face.
  14. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    Over the years we’d gone for a couple of picnics on Mr. Lyndon’s sprawling unfenced property.
  15. furtively
    in a secretive manner
    Each time he glanced at me, I smiled furtively at him.
  16. grove
    a small growth of trees without underbrush
    After awhile there was nothing behind us and nothing before us except more field and a grove of trees.
  17. apprehensive
    mentally upset over possible misfortune or danger
    Sam looked a bit apprehensive; Lynn ignored me.
  18. descent
    a movement downward
    I cheeked to see where the sun was starting its midday descent.
  19. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    One of the men leered at the woman while the other man came forward.
  20. disdainful
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    She spoke to the one who came forward, but not until she had cast a disdainful glance toward the other.
  21. bay
    bark with prolonged noises, of dogs
    I thought I heard dogs baying in the distance, and I remembered I’d heard rumors about Mr. Lyndon owning vicious dogs.
  22. sheer
    complete and without restriction
    Despite all that was terrible about that day, I found myself exhilarated by our speed, by the sheer adventure of the moment, and most of all by the fact that, by myself, I had found this man Hank Garvin, who was going to save my brother.
  23. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    We took Sam into the lobby, where my parents thanked Hank profusely.
  24. emanate
    give out, as breath or an odor
    I found myself embarrassed at the smells emanating from my mother.
  25. hemoglobin
    a red protein in blood that transports oxygen
    My parents told me it was her anemia, but when I looked up “anemia” in our new dictionary, this is what I found: a condition in which the level of hemoglobin in the blood is below the normal range and there is a decrease in the production of red blood cells, often causing pallor and fatigue.
  26. pallor
    an unnatural lack of color in the skin
    My parents told me it was her anemia, but when I looked up “anemia” in our new dictionary, this is what I found: a condition in which the level of hemoglobin in the blood is below the normal range and there is a decrease in the production of red blood cells, often causing pallor and fatigue.
  27. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    Angel was a big burly woman with bandages around her ankles because she said standing all day hurt her legs.
  28. grim
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    Finally, the hatchery manager said grimly, “Not yet.”
  29. encyclopedia
    a reference work containing articles on various topics
    Every night after my mother washed Lynn down, the whole family sat in our bedroom while I read to Lynn from the encyclopedia set my father had bought her for her birthday in September.
  30. wrest
    obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically
    I didn’t even turn to look—I wrested my arm away and ran and ran.
  31. malignant
    dangerous to health
    The dictionary said: Any of the various malignant tumors that arise in the lymph nodes or in other lymphoid tissue.
  32. node
    the source of lymph and lymphocytes
    The dictionary said: Any of the various malignant tumors that arise in the lymph nodes or in other lymphoid tissue.
  33. virulent
    infectious; having the ability to cause disease
    It said: Threatening to life; virulent: a malignant disease.
  34. metastasize
    spread throughout the body
    Tending to metastasize; cancerous.
  35. spree
    a brief indulgence of your impulses
    He said that Oscar had started out on his life of crime by going on a shoplifting spree when he was my age.
Created on Tue Aug 29 10:53:24 EDT 2017 (updated Wed Sep 06 15:35:55 EDT 2017)

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