Orphan Island: Chapters 19–25

by Laurel Snyder
A group of children live happily on an idyllic island — but once a year, a boat takes the oldest child away and brings a new child to the island. Jinny, now the eldest, must care for the new arrival while preparing for the day when she must leave.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–12, Chapters 13–18, Chapters 19–25
35 words 96 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ponder
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Jinny hadn’t thought about that before, and she was pondering it when Loo, beside her, began to bash his spoon against his metal plate for no apparent reason.
  2. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    “Oh...well, I’m sorry,” said Jinny, looking at the slobbery remnant in Loo’s hands. “I don’t think you want to share what’s left with him, do you?”
  3. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    She plodded evenly and didn’t trip or stumble even once.
  4. ruckus
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    “We don’t want to start that howling ruckus up again.”
  5. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
    Joon, stoking the fire in the cookstove, looked over her shoulder and said, “What? No. Isn’t she in your cabin?”
  6. grave
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    “I’m sorry,” said Sam gravely. His eyes were very serious.
  7. accustomed
    in the habit of or adapted to
    He wasn’t accustomed to being yelled at.
  8. clarity
    the quality of being coherent and easily understood
    She remembered it with unusual clarity.
  9. industrious
    characterized by hard work and perseverance
    Jinny stood, bees buzzing industriously around her head, honeycomb in hand, frozen, and watching.
  10. gait
    a person's manner of walking
    Now she careened toward Jinny too, in her lopsided gait.
  11. constrict
    squeeze or push together
    As one, the buzzing cloud seemed to constrict and condense, tighten into a knot of noise, a swarm of wings.
  12. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    In a matter of seconds, the bees flew off, but they left behind two boys covered in stings, angry red welts rising on their faces and arms.
  13. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    Jinny sat down on the other side of the table and sheepishly waited her turn.
  14. methodical
    characterized by orderliness
    Then she remembered Loo beside her, and turned to discover that he was methodically tugging on one arm of a red sea star.
  15. broil
    be very hot, due to hot weather or exposure to the sun
    Suddenly it was as though she was staring at the cool blue sea on a broiling hot day.
  16. graze
    scrape gently
    She tilted her face to the sun, shook her head slightly, and as her hair grazed her cheek, it was almost like Deen’s hair, falling against her.
  17. nook
    a secluded place, corner, or recessed area
    The books had all been flipped through a thousand times by one kid or another, but what about other nooks and crannies in the room?
  18. cranny
    a small opening or crevice
    The books had all been flipped through a thousand times by one kid or another, but what about other nooks and crannies in the room?
  19. mildew
    become moldy or spoil due to humidity
    At last she lay down on the floor, annoyed, and stared at the mildewed ceiling.
  20. recess
    an enclosure that is set back or indented
    But when she did, something caught her eye—a glimpse of something pale, something white, glowing in the dark recesses under the couch.
  21. scald
    burn with a hot liquid or steam
    Satisfied that she was covered up, and that nobody had seen anything, Jinny dashed down to the kitchen to wash her hands from the scalding kettle of water on the cookstove.
  22. bleary
    indistinct or hazy in outline
    But no matter how many crabs she caught, no matter how many plomms she pitted, the sky each morning was hazy and bleary.
  23. console
    give moral or emotional strength to
    Consoled, Ess ran off to find Sam.
  24. ballast
    any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship
    It would feel funny to trust someone smaller than herself to hold her down. With Deen gone, there was nobody left to be her ballast.
  25. pelt
    attack and bombard with or as if with missiles
    As stray drops began to pelt her head, she tore through the prairie, ahead of the rain, not stopping to look out for the kittens.
  26. sorrel
    large sour-tasting leaves used in salads and sauces
    The next day, after a thin lunch of crabs and sorrel salad, Jinny shared the platter of candies.
  27. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    But Ess pushed her away and pummeled Jinny’s chest with her bony arms.
  28. sheer
    very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front
    Over and over she remembered her handful of snaps, falling through the wind, hurtling down the sheer rock face into the churning, bashing water far below.
  29. roil
    be agitated
    Jinny’s stomach roiled as she put these memories together.
  30. throttle
    kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air
    “I’m going to throttle that girl,” shouted Eevie.
  31. bustle
    move or cause to move energetically or busily
    The others were bustling now, hunting for him, but she was his Elder.
  32. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    This was the ominous cramp in her belly, the windless cliffs, the bleary sunrise. This was what her tugging had foretold—the world breaking to bits, the sky falling.
  33. rasp
    scrape with a coarse file
    Guilt and fear rasped inside her.
  34. rekindle
    inflame anew, as of a fire
    Jinny felt herself cutting across the beach alone, carrying her limp bundle beneath the smudgy sky. Past Joon, rekindling the fire.
  35. forfeit
    lose the right to or lose by some error, offense, or crime
    This was not a time for sweetness, for good-byes. She’d forfeited that sort of departure.
Created on Sun Aug 19 16:19:28 EDT 2018 (updated Tue Aug 21 09:45:47 EDT 2018)

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