Raymie Nightingale: Chapters 9–19

by Kate DiCamillo
Raymie enters a local pageant, hoping that the publicity will encourage her absent father to reach out to her. She meets Louisiana and Beverly in a baton-twirling class, and the girls forge a friendship that will help each of them cope with their own losses.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–19, Chapters 20–30, Chapters 31–51

Here are links to our lists for other works by Kate DiCamillo: Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Flora & Ulysses, Louisiana's Way Home
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rouge
    makeup consisting of powder applied to the cheeks
    The woman had green eye shadow on her eyelids and big, fake eyelashes and also a lot of rouge on her cheeks.
  2. issue
    come out of
    This command issued from Ida Nee, who had appeared out of nowhere and who was standing in front of them with her white boots glowing and her baton stretched out in front of her like a sword.
  3. avenge
    take action in return for a perceived wrong
    She looked like an avenging angel in a Sunday-school storybook.
  4. incline
    have a tendency or disposition to do or be something
    Raymie added this question to the list of impossible, unanswerable questions that adults seemed inclined to ask her.
  5. passionate
    having or expressing strong emotions
    Mr. Staphopoulos was very passionate about people not drowning.
  6. afterthought
    an addition that was not included in the original plan
    “Land is an afterthought, people!” That was what Mr. Staphopoulos said to all his Lifesaving 101 students.
  7. mildew
    a fungus that produces a superficial white growth
    He smelled of mildew—a sweet, sad kind of smell.
  8. doom
    decree or designate beforehand
    It also seemed strange to Raymie that Edgar was doomed to smile through the whole thing.
  9. quizzical
    perplexed
    If she had made Edgar, she would have put a more quizzical look on his face.
  10. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    The sun glinted off the abandoned grocery carts and made them magical, beautiful. Everything shimmered.
  11. shimmer
    shine with a weak or fitful light
    The sun glinted off the abandoned grocery carts and made them magical, beautiful. Everything shimmered.
  12. enterprise
    a purposeful or industrious undertaking
    The application was full of errors, which for some reason made the whole enterprise (the contest and the hope that Raymie would win it and the further hope that winning it would bring her father home) seem dubious.
  13. dubious
    fraught with uncertainty or doubt
    The application was full of errors, which for some reason made the whole enterprise (the contest and the hope that Raymie would win it and the further hope that winning it would bring her father home) seem dubious.
  14. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Raymie tried to conjure up his face.
  15. elderly
    people who are old, as a group
    “Oh, honey,” said Mrs. Sylvester, “that is no problem at all. You just go down the street to the Golden Glen and offer to read to one of the residents. The elderly love to be read to.”
  16. deserted
    forsaken by owner or inhabitants
    Also, his ties were too wide, and they were all painted with strange and lonely pictures of deserted beaches, haunted-looking forests, or UFOs.
  17. diversify
    make more varied
    In any case, on the last day of school, Edward Option had said to Raymie, “You are such a good reader, Raymie Clarke, that I wonder if you might be interested in diversifying. I have here a nonfiction book that you might enjoy.”
  18. nonfiction
    prose writing that is not formed by the imagination
    In any case, on the last day of school, Edward Option had said to Raymie, “You are such a good reader, Raymie Clarke, that I wonder if you might be interested in diversifying. I have here a nonfiction book that you might enjoy.”
  19. isolate
    set apart from others
    Raymie could have ridden her bike, but she decided to walk so that she would have time to flex her toes and isolate her objectives.
  20. objective
    the goal intended to be attained
    Raymie could have ridden her bike, but she decided to walk so that she would have time to flex her toes and isolate her objectives.
  21. talon
    a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
    A gigantic seabird flew through Raymie’s brain, its talons extended.
  22. intercom
    a communication system linking different rooms or areas
    An intercom crackled to life.
  23. monotony
    the quality of wearisome constancy and lack of variety
    “Ignore her. She knows one sentence, and she says it day and night. The monotony of her request is too horrible to bear.”
  24. afghan
    a blanket knitted or crocheted in strips or squares
    There was an afghan on the rocking chair.
  25. retrieve
    get or find back; recover the use of
    Raymie got up and retrieved the pen and the notepad.
  26. prevail
    be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
    "Write that, too,” said Isabelle. A long silence prevailed in the room.
  27. mournful
    expressing sorrow
    According to Isabelle, the music of Chopin was too mournful, and the janitor needed to stop playing it because the world was mournful enough on its own.
  28. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    Raymie stood in the doorway holding Florence close to her chest, as if the book could protect her. Which it couldn’t, of course. She knew that.
    Everything seemed bleak, impossible.
  29. prospect
    belief about the future
    She had to go into Alice Nebbley’s room and ask her if she wanted to be read to.
    It was a terrifying prospect.
  30. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    She could hear whoever was in bed breathing in a raspy, strangled kind of way.
  31. skitter
    move or skip quickly across a surface
    Raymie jumped, and A Bright and Shining Path: The Life of Florence Nightingale leaped out of her hands and flew into the air and skittered under Alice Nebbley’s bed.
  32. spangled
    covered with beads or jewels or sequins
    She had on a spangled top that sparkled like fish scales. Her hair was very yellow. She looked like a mermaid in a bad mood.
  33. lunge
    make a thrusting forward movement
    Ida Nee lunged toward Beverly.
  34. dispense
    administer or bestow, as in small portions
    Mrs. Borkowski dispensed a lot of questionable information.
  35. purposeful
    having meaning through having an aim
    Each barrette looked purposeful, alive, as if it were busy receiving messages from very far away.
Created on Wed Sep 12 15:12:51 EDT 2018 (updated Wed Mar 06 09:27:25 EST 2019)

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