The Only Black Girls in Town: Chapters 10–18

by Brandy Colbert
Two girls from very different backgrounds find common ground when they try to solve a mystery from the past.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–18, Chapters 19–29
35 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. reconvene
    meet or cause to meet again
    “So I think we should divide them up and each read them on our own,” Edie says, popping a bit of muffin into her mouth. “Then we can reconvene and tell each other what we found.”
  2. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    Now, as I’m finishing the take-home quiz for history, the smell of dinner wafts through the house.
  3. accusatory
    containing or expressing blame
    “What are you doing?” I don’t mean to sound so accusatory. But as much as Edie couldn’t believe I’ve never had meat, I can’t believe it’s being cooked in our house right this minute.
  4. contaminate
    make impure
    She looks back at me with a smile. “I’m not trying to contaminate anything. The smell is strong enough. I know how serious vegetarianism is for you guys.”
  5. attribute
    credit to
    I must admit, I was dreading this day for weeks. Mama never liked Halloween. She called it the devil’s holiday...but then it never took Mama too long to attribute anything to the devil.
  6. tulle
    a fine fabric net used for veils, tutus, or gowns
    Well, it was too late to get out to Britex and back for the tulle, so I became crafty.
  7. avert
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    I glued together a handful of Mrs. Graham’s cotton balls that looked quite convincing, if I do say so myself. Betty and Mrs. Graham were delighted with the fluffy new tail. Crisis averted!
  8. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    Page after page of sympathetic stories about the Negroes and their plight. How hard things have been for them. How they have so much further to go to achieve equality.
  9. undertaking
    any piece of work that is attempted
    “It’s a start,” Ms. Whitman says. “I think this is a bigger undertaking than I realized.”
  10. neuroscience
    the scientific study of the nervous system and the brain
    “It’s essential work,” Ms. Whitman says. “I’ve tried to convince my son to go into journalism, but he’s only got eyes for neuroscience.”
  11. boycott
    refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with
    He slid a copy of the New York Times my way, open to an article with the following headline: BUSES BOYCOTTED OVER RACE ISSUE; MONTGOMERY, ALA.
  12. subsidiary
    a company that is completely controlled by another company
    Other Negroes by the thousands, meanwhile, found other means of transportation or stayed home today in an organized boycott of City Lines Buses, operated by a subsidiary of National City Lines at Chicago.
  13. cringe
    draw back, as with fear, pain, or embarrassment
    That expression reminds me of Nicolette so much that I cringe, but then, when I keep watching her, I see something else cross her face.
  14. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    I tentatively perch beside her. I try not to look around too much so she won’t think I’m nosy, but I haven’t really been in here since she moved in.
  15. perch
    come to rest; settle
    I tentatively perch beside her. I try not to look around too much so she won’t think I’m nosy, but I haven’t really been in here since she moved in.
  16. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    “Isn’t she?” Denise says wistfully. “It was such a joy to meet her. You know, they always say not to meet your heroes, but she was everything I thought she’d be. Maybe even better.”
  17. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    Denise scoffs. “You have to be kidding me. That was her reason?”
  18. protruding
    extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
    She has enough on her mind, I think, as her protruding belly catches the corner of my eye.
  19. plausible
    apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful
    “You really think so?”
    “I think it’s highly plausible,” she says.
  20. antiquated
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
    “I know, I know—so antiquated, right?” Denise laughs. “But the library is your best bet. They have reference books that can’t be checked out, and microfilm.”
  21. archives
    collection of records especially about an institution
    “Microfilm?” I’ve never even heard that word.
    “It’s a way of viewing archives of newspapers, newsletters, government documents...maybe town directories.”
  22. enlighten
    make understand
    “Please do enlighten us, Ms. Freeman-Price,” Edie says, and we both giggle.
  23. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    Edie still looks skeptical, but she follows me up to the front.
  24. jot
    write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of
    She gets a piece of paper and jots down everything we tell her: Santa Barbara, 1956, Schiff’s Department Store, Betty Graham.
  25. tawny
    having the color of tanned leather
    I wait for her to go on, but instead, I watch Edie’s tawny skin flush from the neck up.
  26. sleuth
    a detective who follows a trail
    “Not really or not at all?” she asks, raising her eyebrow like she’s a sleuth in the mystery that is Alberta Freeman-Price.
  27. collage
    a paste-up of pieces to form an artistic image
    As we leave the bench and keep walking, Edie changes the subject to the collage project we started in art today.
  28. repulsive
    offensive to the mind or senses
    I’d never admit this to anyone, but I even run over the list of sixth-grade boys who aren’t completely repulsive.
  29. scrounge
    obtain or seek to obtain by begging, pleading, or flattering
    “Haven’t seen you around in a while, Alberta. You know, I bet I can scrounge up a free scoop of butter pecan even if you drop by when my sister isn’t there.”
  30. anecdote
    short account of an incident
    Somehow, that little anecdote makes me feel better about my best friend being at a party I wasn’t invited to.
  31. obituary
    a notice of someone's death
    I hold my breath when we get to the slides that mention a Constance. There’s another marriage announcement, an obituary, a few listings in the city directory.
  32. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    We both sit back in our seats, dejected.
  33. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
    Ms. Whitman stands, brushing her palms on her jeans. “Denise was nice enough to come over and help me try to get this library organized. Mrs. Harris’s taste was...a little eclectic.”
  34. hummus
    a thick spread made from mashed chickpeas
    Ms. Whitman sets out hummus, warm pita bread, and some olives and cheese.
  35. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Her brows are still furrowed when she comes back a few minutes later, phone in hand.
Created on Sun Jan 24 20:59:34 EST 2021 (updated Tue Feb 02 12:29:55 EST 2021)

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