One Crazy Summer: "Cassius Clay Clouds"–"Glass of Water"

by Rita Williams-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, three sisters travel to California to visit their estranged mother. While there, they learn about the fight for equality and civil rights.

This list covers Cassius Clay Clouds–Glass of Water.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4

Here are links to our lists for other books by Rita Williams-Garcia: P.S. Be Eleven, Gone Crazy in Alabama, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
16 words 4571 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jolt
    a sudden jarring impact
    Without them, that last jolt would have been enough to throw Vonetta into orbit and Fern across the aisle.
  2. tote
    carry with difficulty
    Big Ma turned her nose up at the college girls with Afros in favor of the Negro lady in the square sunglasses and snappy suit toting the equally snappy oval bag.
  3. homely
    lacking in physical beauty or proportion
    More than my long legs, I’m sure it’s my plain face that throws them off. Not plain as in homely plain, but even plain. Steady.
  4. wring
    twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid
    Ma is sore and worn out from wringing your wet clothes and hanging them to dry; Ma needs peace and quiet at the end of the day.
  5. curtsy
    a gesture involving bending the knees to show respect
    Vonetta asked again so she could have her routine rehearsed in her head — her curtsy, smile, and greeting — leaving Fern and me to stand around like dumb dodos.
  6. appalled
    struck with dread, shock, or dismay
    The redheaded stewardess was appalled by my uppity behavior.
  7. uppity
    arrogant or self-important
    The redheaded stewardess was appalled by my uppity behavior.
  8. gawk
    look with amazement
    She thought it was all right to have the large white woman gawk at us, talk to us, and buy our attention.
  9. mob
    a disorderly crowd of people
    Mobs easily threaded through and around us.
  10. glom
    latch or seize upon; take hold of
    There was something uncommon about Cecile. Eyes glommed onto her.
  11. plait
    a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
    I stared at her eight thick braids of unpressed hair, pencils shoved in the plait above her ear.
  12. scrutiny
    a prolonged intense look
    Fern didn’t notice the scrutiny.
  13. recreation
    an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
    After six and a half hours on the plane and keeping up with Cecile, I figured they could use the recreation.
  14. fugitive
    someone who is sought by law officers
    He looked like a fugitive from justice. I could spot one when I saw one.
  15. formulate
    come up with after a mental effort
    Vonetta and Fern eyed the wooden sticks and formulated ideas about turning them into hairpins, play-fight swords, and pickup sticks.
  16. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    Bath water made the leather hard and clammy against my skin.
Created on Thu Feb 28 14:07:34 EST 2019 (updated Fri Aug 01 12:28:56 EDT 2025)

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