The Secret School: Chapters 1–5

by Avi
Fourteen-year-old Ida dreams of becoming a teacher. When her town's one-room schoolhouse must shut down, Ida decides to secretly teach the other students and prepare for her own high school entrance exams.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–18
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. clutch
    a pedal that engages a rotating shaft and driving mechanism
    Ida, only four-feet-eleven and unable to reach the floor of the car, knelt on the torn seat and gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her seven-year-old brother, Felix, hunched on the floor before her and used his hands to push the brake and clutch pedals down.
  2. throttle
    a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
    As Ida adjusted the throttle lever, the battered car, hiccuping like a damp firecracker, swung into a sharp turn.
  3. backfire
    emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion of fuel
    As the car churned up a hill—with enough backfiring to suggest a small war had erupted—Ida caught sight of Tom Kohl and his younger sister, Mary, riding bareback on their mule, Ruckus.
  4. rein
    direct by or as if by straps used to control a horse
    Though startled, Tom skillfully reined the mule to the side of the road, then turned around and pushed his floppy flaxen hair out of his eyes.
  5. flaxen
    pale yellowish to yellowish brown
    Though startled, Tom skillfully reined the mule to the side of the road, then turned around and pushed his floppy flaxen hair out of his eyes.
  6. steeple
    a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building
    Squat and square, the school building had a pitched roof and a small bell steeple at the south end.
  7. privy
    a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
    Beyond the school stood two privies, one for boys and one for girls.
  8. neutral
    a disengaged position, as of gears
    “Clutch to neutral and brake!” Ida shouted as she aimed the car toward its regular parking place, only to realize that another car—one she didn’t recognize—was already there.
  9. gingham
    a woven cotton fabric, typically with a checked pattern
    Then she smoothed down her gingham dress.
  10. emporium
    a large shop organized into sections
    Mr. Jordan was the owner-operator of Wally’s Mighty Fine Emporium, Elk Valley’s feed and grocery store.
  11. graze
    feed as in a meadow or pasture
    As always, Tom tied the mule to the rear bumper of the Bidsons’ car with enough rope to allow for grazing.
  12. kerosene
    a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel
    Kerosene lamps were fastened on each wall along with pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and a chart of the Palmer script alphabet.
  13. portly
    fairly large
    He was a portly, red-faced man, wearing overalls and a blue shirt.
  14. stealthy
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    Ida, using a trick she had mastered long ago, faced front but whispered to Tom without moving her lips. “Why do you think he’s here?”
    “Don’t know,” Tom replied in the same stealthy fashion.
  15. miserly
    characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
    “My old man says he’s as miserly as a sleeping marmot.”
  16. chortle
    laugh quietly or with restraint
    “This means you can have one long summer vacation. I’m sure,” he chortled, “that despite our sorrow at losing Miss Fletcher, that’ll cheer you up.”
  17. ail
    be unwell
    But I’d suggest you think a little less of yourself and a little more on Miss Fletcher and her ailing mother.
  18. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    Ida pensively braided bits of grass.
  19. flapper
    an unconventional young woman in the 1920s
    “Teach in a big city. Denver, maybe. Have books. My own car. A new one. Travel round the whole world.”
    “Come on, you’re no flapper. Nice girls don’t do that.”
  20. correspondence
    communication by the exchange of letters
    Tom said, “I suppose I can learn some of what I need from a correspondence course. Saw an ad for one in a copy of Popular Mechanics.”
  21. concede
    admit or acknowledge, often reluctantly
    “It’s not your fault,” Ida conceded.
  22. bleat
    cry plaintively like a sheep or goat
    As Ida parked the backfiring car in their farmyard driveway, bleating lambs, tails up, ran in fright, while Snooker, the old mare, looked over the corral fence.
  23. corral
    a pen for cattle
    As Ida parked the backfiring car in their farmyard driveway, bleating lambs, tails up, ran in fright, while Snooker, the old mare, looked over the corral fence.
  24. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    Before racing away, he beckoned Ida over and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell Ma that Miss Fletcher is leaving?”
  25. keen
    having or showing interest and intense desire
    Ida, love, though your father’s keen on reading, neither of us got much schooling.
  26. notion
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    Charley said, “Then what are you fixing to do about it?”
    Ida felt her heart beat faster. “Tom,” she said, “had a notion.”
  27. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    “My own sister, the teacher?” Felix cried with such dismay everyone burst out laughing.
  28. earnestly
    in a sincere and serious manner
    “But,” Natasha said earnestly, “what about the school board? Think they’d let you? You know, pay and everything?”
  29. skinflint
    a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
    “Wouldn’t ask for pay,” Ida said. “Do it for nothing.”
    “Mr. Skin-a-flint Jordan would love that,” Herbert said.
  30. wan
    lacking vitality as from weariness or illness or unhappiness
    “Maybe I’m too scared,” Ida said with a wan smile.
  31. solemnly
    in a serious and dignified manner
    Miss Fletcher walked solemnly to the front of her desk.
  32. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
    “Do what conscience says is right;
    Do what reason says is best;
    Do with all your mind and might;
    Do your duty, and be blest.”
  33. wicker
    flexible branches or twigs that can be woven together
    Mary jumped up, ran to the girls’ wardrobe, and returned with a small wicker basket covered with a blue cloth.
  34. portmanteau
    a large travelling bag made of stiff leather
    Tom, Herbert, be kind enough to carry my trunk to his car. Charley, my portmanteau is by my desk. Mary, you shall carry my precious basket.
  35. prim
    exaggeratedly proper
    “Children,” she said in the most prim teacherlike voice she could manage, “school is closed for the day. It will open regular at eight-thirty sharp tomorrow morning.”
Created on Thu Aug 19 16:16:51 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Aug 23 14:41:37 EDT 2021)

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