Turtle in Paradise: Chapters 4–6

by Jennifer L. Holm
During the Great Depression, an eleven-year-old girl tackles challenges and finds adventure when she moves in with relatives in Key West, Florida.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–18
25 words 116 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cater
    give what is desired or needed
    “Alligator pear on Cuban bread.” Aunt Minnie purses her lips. “I don’t cater to fussy children."
  2. icebox
    an insulated container in which food can be kept cold
    I get a glass down off a shelf and open the icebox.
  3. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    A scary, insectlike creature with a pointy tail scuttles out, waving mean little claws, and I jump back.
  4. avocado
    a pear-shaped tropical fruit with green or blackish skin
    “That’s an alligator pear,” Kermit says, pointing to a bowl of avocados.
  5. dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    Kermit pulls the wagon and Buddy dawdles, stopping every few minutes to pick up stones.
  6. racket
    a loud and disturbing noise
    Beans knocks on the door. It opens and I see the source of the racket: a bald, fat, red-faced baby being held by his tired mother.
  7. muffle
    deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping
    Pork Chop proceeds to roll the baby up like a little sausage. He tucks the blanket tight around him, muffling his cries.
  8. telegraph
    apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire
    “How come everyone knows who I am?” I ask.
    “Conch Telegraph," Pork Chop says.
  9. conch
    an edible tropical marine mollusk or its large spiral shell
    Mama told me that Conchs are what folks in Key West call themselves. A lot of them originally came from the Bahamas, where they fished for conch.
  10. grubby
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    "Hey, Beans! How’re the babies today?” a grubby kid calls. “You need me, you just ask!”
  11. bawl
    cry loudly
    The wagon hits a bump, and the front-right wheel falls off, making the wagon tip. The babies wake up bawling.
  12. liberal
    given or giving freely
    Pork Chop digs around in the wagon, pulls out a small cloth sack, and hands it to Kermit, who sprinkles Pudding’s bottom liberally with white powder.
  13. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    The big-eared boy who was skulking around Curry Lane my first day comes running up to us.
  14. throng
    a large gathering of people
    Out on Francis Street, a throng of kids jostles around a man selling ice cream from the back of a horse-drawn wagon.
  15. jostle
    make one's way by pushing or shoving
    Out on Francis Street, a throng of kids jostles around a man selling ice cream from the back of a horse-drawn wagon.
  16. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Beans saunters right to the front of the line, holding out his empty can.
  17. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    The boys slink off back to the house. I pick up a can and wait my turn in line.
  18. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    I hold out my ice cream. “The nickel was in the bottom of the can, mister.”
    “In the bottom of the can, you say?” Jimmy asks skeptically.
  19. glum
    moody and sorrowful
    The boys are sitting glumly on the front porch when I come walking up the lane with the ice cream.
  20. headlong
    at breakneck speed
    Kermit’s the fastest of them all—tearing headlong across the lane, dodging this boy and that.
  21. interrogate
    pose a series of questions to
    Aunt Minnie’s like a lawyer interrogating a witness. "Look at you! All sweaty! Were you running around playing that wild game?”
  22. chasten
    censure severely
    She whirls on Kermit. "If I so much as catch you walking fast, I will box your ears, you hear me?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Kermit says, looking chastened.
  23. mischievous
    naughtily or annoyingly playful
    We’ve just turned the corner of Curry Lane when I ask, “Would your heart really give out from running around?”
    “I don’t know,” he says with a mischievous grin.
  24. blanch
    turn pale, as if in fear
    Johnny Cakes blanches. “What is it you think I do?"
  25. bellow
    shout loudly and without restraint
    “He’s got you there, Johnny!" the other man says, bellowing with laughter.
Created on Thu Sep 09 20:22:34 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Sep 20 13:16:59 EDT 2021)

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