Skellig: Chapters 23–34

by David Almond
Michael's world is in flux: he's just moved into a new house, and his baby sister is suffering from a terrible illness. When he discovers a mysterious creature named Skellig near death in his garage, things only get stranger.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–22, Chapters 23–34, Chapters 35–46
30 words 208 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    She grinned and beckoned me over the wall when she saw me standing there.
  2. punctuation
    the use of marks to clarify meaning of written material
    Every so often, Miss Clarts checked that they were neat and the punctuation was right and the spellings were right.
  3. sarcasm
    witty language used to convey insults or scorn
    One of the things we hate about schools is the sarcasm that’s in them.
  4. parcel
    a wrapped package
    We stepped inside, carrying our parcels.
  5. crouch
    sit on one's heels
    “Exhausted,” he squeaked as we crouched beside him.
  6. agony
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    He groaned and twisted in agony.
  7. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    When they were released, the wings began to unfurl from his shoulder blades.
  8. quiver
    shake with fast, tremulous movements
    He lay facedown and his wings continued to quiver into shape above him.
  9. drone
    make a monotonous low dull sound
    I listened to the drone of the city outside, to the clatter of the hospital.
  10. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    She hobbled away, singing “Lord of the Dance” to herself.
  11. distracted
    having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety
    He was too distracted to ask again.
  12. extinct
    no longer in existence
    “We believe that dinosaurs became extinct,” said Mina.
  13. evolution
    sequence of events involved in the development of a species
    “There’s no end to evolution,” said Mina.
  14. distress
    extreme physical discomfort
    The doctor says I’m in distress.
  15. recoil
    spring back; spring away from an impact
    “Gotcha,” he said, and his hand recoiled like he’d fired.
  16. mope
    be apathetic, gloomy, or dazed
    “Michael’s been moping,” he said.
  17. ignorant
    uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
    You think you’re special but you’re just as ignorant as anybody.
  18. silhouette
    an outline of a solid object as cast by its shadow
    The moon hung over the city, a great orange ball with the silhouettes of steeples and chimney stacks upon it.
  19. rely
    have confidence or faith in
    I cursed myself, because in order to go to him now I had to rely on Mina.
  20. ajar
    slightly open
    The door into the garden was ajar.
  21. prowl
    move about in or as if in a predatory manner
    The cat prowled to her side, brushed itself against her legs.
  22. blunder
    make one's way clumsily or blindly
    We blundered through the dark.
  23. glisten
    the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
    We saw nothing of his eyes, his pale cheeks; just his black silhouette against the glistening night.
  24. penetrating
    having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
    Their eyes were darker, more empty, more penetrating.
  25. efficient
    being effective without wasting time, effort, or expense
    He was trying to be all brisk and efficient but he pressed his lips together and looked at me and I saw the scared look in his eyes.
  26. tousle
    disarrange or rumple; dishevel
    Rasputin came to me and tousled my hair.
  27. cavernous
    being or suggesting a large dark enclosed space
    He stared out at us through cavernous eyes.
  28. disgust
    strong feelings of dislike
    A few of the others shuddered in disgust.
  29. abandoned
    forsaken by owner or inhabitants
    I wrote a story about a boy exploring some abandoned warehouses by the river.
  30. flee
    run away quickly
    “So he took his wings and fled."
Created on Thu Nov 14 20:14:28 EST 2013 (updated Tue Aug 07 15:46:32 EDT 2018)

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