The Fourteenth Goldfish: Chapters 1–8

by Jennifer L. Holm
Ellie is struggling to adjust to middle school. When her scientist grandfather announces he has discovered a secret to reverse aging, she finds herself swept up in a scientific adventure that will help her discover her own place in the world.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–17, Chapters 18–29
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    “Unlucky thirteen,” she said with a wry look.
  2. flub
    blunder; make a mess of something
    Being onstage makes me nervous (I’ve watched too many actors flub their lines), and I’m not a fan of working behind the scenes, either (I always end up steaming costumes).
  3. afterthought
    an addition that was not included in the original plan
    Almost as an afterthought, she adds, “Something to do with getting your grandfather from the police.”
  4. mystified
    totally perplexed and mixed up
    “Did my mom say anything about why Grandpa was with the police?” I ask.
    Nicole looks mystified. “No. Does he get in trouble a lot?”
  5. frazzle
    exhaust physically or emotionally
    My mom looks frazzled. Her mascara is smudged beneath her eyes, her red lipstick chewed away.
  6. banner
    unusually good; outstanding
    He’s standing beneath the old, dying palm tree on our front lawn. My mother nods. “This is turning into a banner day.”
  7. frond
    compound leaf of a fern or palm or cycad
    It drops big brown fronds everywhere, and my mom says it needs to come down.
  8. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    The boy reluctantly picks up a large duffel bag and walks into our house.
  9. frilly
    having decorative ruffles or similar ornamentation
    This morning, she left the house in a floor-length black satin skirt and matching bolero jacket with a frilly white poet’s shirt.
  10. elope
    run away secretly with one's beloved
    “You must’ve been boy-crazy to elope,” he says.
  11. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    He gives an exasperated sigh. “It should be perfectly obvious. I engineered a way to reverse senescence through cellular regeneration.”
  12. senescence
    the organic process of growing older
    He gives an exasperated sigh. “It should be perfectly obvious. I engineered a way to reverse senescence through cellular regeneration.”
  13. layman
    someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person
    “In layman’s terms: I discovered a cure for aging.” His voice shakes with excitement. “In effect, I have discovered the fountain of youth!”
  14. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “Of course it’s me!” the boy says indignantly.
  15. patent
    a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
    “My laboratory!” His voice trembles with outrage. “I practically built that place! I have credits on nineteen of their patents, you know. You’d think they’d have some respect.”
  16. anemone
    a marine polyp that resembles a flower
    “Take the planarian flatworm. You can slice it in two and each part will grow into a new worm. The hydra, a freshwater creature, can actually regenerate body parts, and the sea anemone doesn’t appear to experience senescence at all.”
  17. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order, form, or rule
    “It was a foot in diameter,” he explains. “And there were other anomalies. I knew it was a new species. I even named it: Turritopsis melvinus.”
  18. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    He scoffs. “All he did was catch it. I identified it. I was the one who did all the work. I was the one who created the compound. I was the one who tested it on the mice.”
  19. trill
    pronounce with a flutter of the tongue
    “Good morning, campers!” my mom trills.
  20. truant
    one who is absent from school without permission
    “Did you forget that the police released you into my custody? I work with kids. I’m a teacher. I can’t have a thirteen-year-old truant in my house. Someone will see you and I’ll lose my job.”
  21. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    My father grimaced. “They should give you a medal for surviving that.”
  22. sleek
    well-groomed and neatly tailored
    I’d never be able to pull off that sleek haircut—my hair’s way too crazy.
  23. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    He’s not a fan of middle school. He says it’s boring and a waste of time, especially gym. But it’s the textbooks that have him really riled up.
  24. quack
    an untrained person who pretends to be a physician
    “Probably because Sagarsky is a quack,” a voice behind us says.
  25. tuft
    a bunch or cluster of strands, as of grass, hair, etc.
    He looks at me, a long tuft of black hair flopping over his forehead.
  26. charlatan
    a flamboyant deceiver
    Raj shrugs. “Well, my teacher says he’s just another in a line of charlatans looking for the fountain of youth.”
  27. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    My grandfather glowers at him as he passes.
  28. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    “If you tried it, you might like it, she cajoles him.
  29. belligerent
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
    A belligerent look crosses his face. “I don’t want to try it. I like Chinese food. It’s reliable. You can walk into any Chinese restaurant and know what you’re getting.”
  30. hallmark
    a distinctive characteristic or attribute
    “You have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s an amazing play. A hallmark of American playwriting. You just don’t have any flair for drama.”
  31. flair
    a natural talent
    “You have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s an amazing play. A hallmark of American playwriting. You just don’t have any flair for drama.”
  32. hearty
    showing warm and sincere friendliness
    “Bonjour,” my dad says in a hearty voice.
  33. polio
    a viral disease that can cause muscle weakness or paralysis
    “Jonas Salk developed the vaccine for polio.”
    I’m almost afraid to ask, but I do anyway. “What’s polio?”
  34. pioneer
    take the lead or initiative in
    “Polio is a terrible disease! It left children crippled. Killed them. Salk and his group of scientists pioneered a vaccine to prevent it. He even tested it on himself.”
  35. genome
    the full DNA sequence of an organism
    “That it’s possible to create a cure for polio. That it’s possible to sequence the human genome. That it’s possible to find a way to reverse aging. That science can change the world.”
Created on Wed Dec 19 14:01:28 EST 2018 (updated Wed Dec 19 15:34:36 EST 2018)

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