The Old Willis Place: Chapters 1–5

by Mary Downing Hahn
Siblings Diana and Georgie are not supposed to talk to strangers or leave the grounds of the house once owned by Lilian Willis. But when a new caretaker moves onto the property, Diana is tempted to break the rules and befriend Lissa, the caretaker's daughter.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–17
30 words 314 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rut
    a groove or furrow
    Together we squatted down and watched a pickup slowly approach, bumping over the ruts.
  2. haphazardly
    in a random manner
    Their belongings were piled haphazardly in the truck bed, held in place with ropes.
  3. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    Wedged among mattresses, bed frames, chests, tables, and stacks of cardboard boxes, a big golden dog panted and lurched around, excited by the smells of the woods.
  4. crest
    a showy growth of feathers or skin on the head of an animal
    “Yes, that’s exactly what he looked like—long neck, pointed nose, and his hair stuck up in a crest.” Georgie bumped against me, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “Heron Man, that’s what we’ll call him.”
  5. suppress
    control and refrain from showing
    I glimpsed the driver’s birdy profile and suppressed a giggle.
  6. bramble
    any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
    Soundlessly we followed the truck, keeping the trees and brambles between us and the lane.
  7. slate
    thin layers of rock used for roofing
    Slates from the roof littered the yard.
  8. spoilsport
    someone who ruins the pleasure of others
    One little pinch. He deserved it for being such a spoilsport.
  9. vixen
    a female fox
    We saw a vixen and her kits playing in a hollow near their den.
  10. fawn
    a young deer
    We passed a family of rabbits grazing on clover; a groundhog; a deer and her fawn.
  11. conformist
    someone who follows established standards of conduct
    “You’ll get a much better education at home. School grinds kids down, destroys their minds and their imaginations. Makes them into conformists, unable to think for themselves—”
  12. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    A green and yellow rag rug covered most of the old linoleum tile.
  13. straddle
    sit or stand astride of
    "No, not of the whole world.” I straddled Lissa’s bike. "Just the queen of Oak Hill Manor.”
  14. exhilarated
    filled with joy or excitement
    Exhilarated by speed, I hunched over the handlebars and pedaled hard.
  15. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    Dad says the old lady who owned it was really eccentric, maybe even crazy.
  16. supernatural
    not able to be explained by physical laws
    Now here’s something else to tell you, something different. Not supernatural but scarier in a way because it’s real.
  17. lull
    calm by deception
    Lulled by the rain into a dreamy state like Georgie’s, I said, “Devil’s food cake was their favorite. And chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven, all gooey and sweet. Mother read to them every night and Daddy took them fishing in the pond.”
  18. dispel
    force to go away
    It hung in the air for a long moment, a dark cloud over our heads, a curse nothing could dispel.
  19. molder
    decay or break down
    To keep myself from thinking about the bad part, I rummaged through our pile of moldering belongings until I found Clematis.
  20. bound
    a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
    In a few bounds, the cat scrambled up a tree.
  21. feral
    wild and menacing
    “It’s a feral cat,” Mr. Morrison said.
  22. croon
    sing softly
    “Good boy,” Lissa crooned as he descended, “good boy.”
  23. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
    Instead of climbing the rotting steps, Lissa stood on the grass, her face wistful, and gazed at the house.
  24. curtsy
    bend the knees in a gesture of respectful greeting
    After a few seconds, Lissa dropped her arms and curtsied as if she were thanking an invisible partner for the dance.
  25. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    A pair of mourning doves hunted for food near a shaggy boxwood hedge, cooing to each other in their soft melancholy voices.
  26. cherub
    an angel portrayed as a winged child
    Lissa sat on the bench, as still as the stone cherubs perched on the terrace steps.
  27. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    I drew in my breath as if I were standing on a high dive and took a tentative step toward her, still in the dense shade, still hidden, still safe.
  28. spout
    talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
    But Georgie was right—whatever nonsense she spouted, her father most likely wouldn’t believe her.
  29. flit
    move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
    In the dim light, I saw fear flit across his face as if he were dreaming about the bad thing.
  30. loom
    come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
    The old Willis house loomed ahead, dark and crooked against the starry sky.
Created on Tue Dec 17 15:07:18 EST 2019 (updated Tue Dec 17 15:10:44 EST 2019)

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