Rules: Pages 1–49

by Cynthia Lord
To help her younger brother make sense of life in Maine (and avoid embarrassment), twelve-year-old Catherine writes down a list of rules.

This list covers pages 1–49 in the 2006 Scholastic Press edition.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
15 words 2323 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. advisory
    an announcement that usually warns the public of some threat
    David has to watch all the previews on the store TVs and walk down each row of videos, flipping boxes over to read the parental advisory and the rating — even on videos Dad would never let him rent.
  2. autism
    a condition involving social and communication difficulties
    Sometimes I wish someone would invent a pill so David’d wake up one morning without autism, like someone waking from a long coma, and he’d say, “Jeez, Catherine, where have I been?”
  3. fidget
    move restlessly
    But Jason’s mother fidgets — crossing her legs, picking up magazines, putting them down, smoothing her short, flipped-under, brown hair — so she’d be harder to draw.
  4. wayward
    difficult to manage or keep in order
    Reddish brown waves of hair sweep over Jason’s brow. A few wayward strands dangle near his eyes.
  5. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    "Just because he can’t talk,” she says, “don’t assume he doesn’t mind!”
  6. cue
    give a signal, prompt, or reminder
    Mrs. Frost drops her magazine and even the receptionist has stopped typing, her hands held above her keyboard like a conductor waiting to cue a symphony.
  7. mimic
    imitate, especially for satirical effect
    I told him Ryan was joking, but that made it worse, because David laughed and laughed in that twisted position, and Ryan mimicked David, tipping his own head way over, laughing.
  8. initiate
    bring into being
    “Don’t stop David from talking to people! Not after all the work we’ve done on initiating conversation.”
  9. patter
    a quick succession of light rapid sounds
    I draw to the steady patter of rain on the roof and cars gushing through puddles on the road.
  10. flinch
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    I flinch. I know Jason can’t help it, but sometimes, the sounds he makes are loud and creepy.
  11. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    Jason grimaces at the card.
  12. vinyl
    shiny, tough, and flexible plastic
    His book has clear vinyl pages, like an album for trading cards, only with smaller pockets to fit the word cards.
  13. cranky
    easily irritated or annoyed
    “He’s been a bit cranky,” Mrs. Morehouse says. “I think he stayed up too late last night watching the Red Sox. It went to extra innings.”
  14. crabby
    annoyed and irritable
    "Oh? ARE YOU” (points to Jason) “CRANKY?” (gesture plus crabby face).
  15. evaluation
    the act of ascertaining or judging the quality of
    The therapist turns to Mrs. Morehouse and adds, “It’s time for evaluations. Why don’t you come with us, and I’ll show you what I have in mind.”
Created on Wed Jul 30 19:50:55 EDT 2014 (updated Mon Aug 04 15:08:20 EDT 2025)

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