The Boxcar Children: "The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner

by Gertrude Chandler Warner
This first book of the series introduces the orphaned siblings Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, who try to make a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. loaf
    a shaped mass of baked bread
    The little boy was looking at the cakes, the big boy was looking at the loaves of bread, and the two girls were looking at the cookies.
  2. polite
    showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
    She smiled politely at the woman, but the woman did not smile.
  3. cross
    annoyed and irritable
    Now the baker’s wife did not like children. She did not like boys at all. So she came to the front of the bakery and listened, looking very cross.
  4. remark
    make or write a comment on
    “I’m glad she is gone,” remarked Benny, eating. “She doesn’t like us.”
  5. brook
    a natural stream of water smaller than a river
    They jumped over a brook, and then they came to the haystack.
  6. needle
    the leaf of a conifer such as a pine tree
    “I’m glad it is hot,” said Henry, “for we must sleep on the ground. Let’s find some pine needles for beds.”
  7. rusty
    covered with or consisting of an oxide coating
    She ran over to the boxcar. There was no engine, and the track was old and rusty.
  8. stump
    the base part that remains after a tree has been felled
    The stump of a big tree stood under the door of the boxcar and was just right for a step.
  9. lap
    the upper side of the thighs of a seated person
    She carried the dog over to the children and sat down beside them, the dog on her lap.
  10. handkerchief
    a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose
    “He had a big thorn in his foot,” answered Violet, “and Jessie took it out and put on the handkerchief. It hurt him, but he did not cry or growl.”
  11. admire
    feel high regard for
    The children sat back and admired the dishes.
  12. board
    a stout length of sawn timber
    She ran to get the board they had carried from the dump and laid it carefully across the two pieces of wood. It made a fine shelf for the dishes.
  13. bundle
    a package of things tied together for carrying or storing
    Henry was coming through the woods, and he carried many funny-looking bundles in his arms. But he would not open his bundles or tell what he had been doing until it was time for dinner.
  14. hem
    fold over and sew together to provide with a finished edge
    She took her scissors out of her workbag and cut the two ends even. But before she began to hem the pretty blue tablecloth, she helped Jessie wash and rinse the dishes and put them away.
  15. handle
    the appendage to an object designed to be held
    “Now this spoon is a magic spoon,” said Henry. “Turn it around and use the handle, and it is a knife!”
  16. dam
    a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water
    “Maybe we could make a swimming pool,” he said. “We could build a dam out of logs.”
  17. eager
    having or showing keen interest or intense desire
    Henry was so eager to begin work that he ran all the way to town.
  18. stew
    food prepared by slowly cooking meat or fish with vegetables
    Jessie cut the tops off the vegetables and washed them in the brook.
    “I’ll put them in after the meat has cooked awhile,” she said.
    Soon the water began to boil, and the stew began to smell good.
  19. turnip
    a plant having a large, fleshy, edible white or yellow root
    “I do like the smell of onions.”
    “I like the turnips best,” said Violet.
  20. ladle
    a spoon-shaped vessel with a long handle
    “I found a tin cup in the dump,” said Jessie. “We used a long stick for a handle and tied it to the cup with a piece of wire. It makes a fine ladle.”
  21. log
    a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
    We’ll build the dam here with logs and stones.
  22. orchard
    a small cultivated area where fruit trees are planted
    Benny hurried here and there, carrying baskets to the pickers and eating all the cherries he wanted. Everyone in the orchard liked Benny.
  23. mill
    a facility for manufacturing
    James Henry Alden was a very rich man. His big mills stood just between Greenfield and Silver City.
  24. track
    a course over which races are run
    Off went the runners down the track.
  25. bleachers
    set of tiered seats from which an audience watches an event
    Dr. Moore did not tell Henry that he had been up in the bleachers. He let Henry tell him about the races.
Created on Mon May 22 10:53:34 EDT 2023 (updated Mon May 22 13:09:02 EDT 2023)

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