The House That Lou Built: Chapters 4–8

by Mae Respicio
Living in her grandmother's cramped home, thirteen-year-old Lou longs for a private space. But her plans to build a tiny house of her own are jeopardized when she must fight to save the land she inherited from her father.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–19, Chapters 20–26
35 words 5 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inspire
    supply the idea for
    We’re taking a field trip to a place that makes me feel inspired: Annie’s Salvage Yard, a large cement lot full of junk and treasures.
  2. catapult
    an engine providing medieval artillery used during sieges
    My main task at Annie’s is to keep her company while we dream up new ideas for our 1,001 Cool Things to Build List. Like #424, the world’s largest catapult.
  3. jaunt
    a journey taken for pleasure
    My family came up with the idea to charge for jeepney jaunts around the senior center during the festival.
  4. trinket
    a small cheap ornament, knickknack, or piece of jewelry
    In the Philippines, jeepneys are old military jeeps covered with trinkets or decked out in different themes.
  5. flashy
    tastelessly showy
    They’re traveling works of art, the flashier the better.
  6. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    As we walk into the yard, Sheryl says, “Look for any thing silver or sparkly,” and she zigzags through rows of things that catch the light and glint.
  7. labyrinth
    complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
    We snake through a labyrinth of old furniture, car scraps, and oddly shaped metal sculptures that Annie welded together.
  8. weld
    join together by heating
    We snake through a labyrinth of old furniture, car scraps, and oddly shaped metal sculptures that Annie welded together.
  9. bash
    an uproarious party
    We’re throwing her big bash at a different lola’s house—Lola Juaning, my grandmother’s sister who lives in Daly City.
  10. perky
    characterized by liveliness and lightheartedness
    “Did you girls meet any interesting customers at Annie’s today?” Mom asks as she drives. She’s perky, but I don’t feel like talking.
  11. certify
    authorize officially
    Filipinos didn’t study interior design. They were practical professionals, like nurses and teachers and certified med techs.
  12. cope
    come to terms with
    Everyone says that our living with Grandpa Ted helped him cope with the tragedy as much as it did Mom and me.
  13. corrupt
    dishonest or immoral or evasive
    Younger cousins are planted on the couch playing video games, while uncles and lotos drink San Miguel beer and argue about corrupt Philippine politics.
  14. overwhelm
    overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
    Sometimes this mix of sounds and smells overwhelms me, but when its gone, I kind of miss it.
  15. nook
    a secluded place, corner, or recessed area
    "You know my tiny house?”
    “You mean our tiny house? I get my own reading nook, remember?”
  16. synchronized
    operating in unison
    At least, that’s how it’s supposed to happen, but only if everyone stays synchronized, which seems impossible with so many poles and feet moving, and clumsy cousins like Arwin, who still gets his ankles caught.
  17. grove
    a small growth of trees without underbrush
    He was a guy who had a gigantic grove of redwoods named after him, called Muir Woods, where we take school trips every year.
  18. trek
    any long and difficult trip
    I slip on a fleece and start the short trek up.
  19. clearing
    a treeless tract of land in the middle of a wooded area
    The path ends in a flat clearing surrounded by more redwoods.
  20. tarp
    a sheet of waterproofed canvas
    I throw my backpack on a pile of leaves and unpeel a plastic tarp that covers the trailer bed.
  21. sturdy
    substantially made or constructed
    What peeks out is a large, flat grid of metal beams with thick wheels and a sturdy triangle at the front, the tongue, for hitching.
  22. hitch
    connect to a vehicle
    What peeks out is a large, flat grid of metal beams with thick wheels and a sturdy triangle at the front, the tongue, for hitching.
  23. rustle
    make a dry crackling sound
    Something rustles. I peer around to make sure it’s not a skunk; then I see a fuzzy squirrel race up a tree.
  24. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    Next, I try the crowbar. I slip it behind the strip and pull down as hard as I can—it shifts the teeniest bit. I keep prying and prying until the strip moves a little more.
  25. framework
    a structure supporting or containing something
    I’m sure there’s enough to build the framework of my house, probably even enough for the floor.
  26. skitter
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    I grab the end of a bundle, but it’s so heavy I can barely inch it up. Something skitters out and sweeps past my hands. A tiny black mouse runs into sunlight.
  27. varnish
    cover with a hard, lustrous finish
    The wood’s light-colored, with soft gray grain running down it like pathways. It’s raw, not varnished.
  28. cormorant
    large, dark-colored, long-necked seabird
    Along the bay, paddleboarders balance, pushing forward with oars while cormorants float around them.
  29. nautical
    relating to ships or navigation
    I take photos all around: an herb garden planted in a giant cowboy boot; bicycles chained to the fences; a nautical steering wheel hung on a rail, splitting the sun into triangles on the ground.
  30. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    A cat saunters to a bowl of water left outside of someone’s bright green door.
  31. stocky
    having a short and solid form or stature
    Jack has an older brother in high school, and they look alike except that John’s taller, stockier, and more jocklike.
  32. lopsided
    having one side lower or smaller or lighter than the other
    A poster of The Goonies hangs lopsided on the wall, and his desk sits under a big window with a view of other floating houses.
  33. intimidating
    discouraging through fear
    Now I see why everyone likes him. Sitting here, talking about whatever, he’s not intimidating like other popular kids.
  34. handy
    skillful at making things or doing manual tasks
    “I probably get it from my dad and grandpas. They were all handy. Plus, I used to take Woodworking for Kids at the Y, but it got canceled because some parent complained about the dangers of using tools, which is ridiculous because organized sports are way more hazardous.”
  35. efficient
    being effective without wasting time, effort, or expense
    I count out the reasons on my fingers: “There's the saving-the-planet part because they're more efficient....There’s the saving-money part since you wouldn’t have a bunch of bills because you’re not living in a mansion....Then there’s the whole wow factor because, well, you’re building a house!"
Created on Wed Mar 13 21:17:07 EDT 2019 (updated Wed Mar 20 10:50:19 EDT 2019)

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