I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919: Chapters 7–14

by Lauren Tarshis
In this nineteenth book of the historical fiction I Survived series, twelve-year-old Carmen Grasso finds her horse licking Boston's giant leaky molasses tank just before an explosion.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–14
25 words 35 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stumble
    walk unsteadily
    She stumbled into the kitchen and headed straight for the coatrack.
  2. steady
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
    “Yes. But I’m...I’m going to school,” Carmen lied, struggling to keep her voice steady.
  3. soothing
    freeing from fear and anxiety
    Usually, the sound of Rosie’s horseshoes on the cobblestones was soothing to Carmen. But today each footstep was a hammer pounding on her heart.
  4. mane
    long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck
    Carmen slid down and buried herself in Rosie’s mane, staring at her shiny new boots through the mare’s soft white hair.
  5. scramble
    move hurriedly
    Carmen’s eyes snapped open and she scrambled to her feet.
  6. rivet
    a heavy metal pin used to fasten two pieces of metal
    The bolts—rivets—that held the tank together. There were thousands of them.
    And now all the rivets seemed to let go of the tank at once.
  7. massive
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    As the tank collapsed, the molasses inside seemed to hover in the air for a split second—a massive roiling cloud.
  8. colossal
    so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
    As the tank collapsed, the molasses inside seemed to hover in the air for a split second—a massive roiling cloud. And then it crashed to the ground, a colossal, churning wave.
  9. stench
    a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
    The gagging stench of molasses rushed up Carmen’s nose and down her throat, deep into her guts.
  10. devour
    destroy completely
    The wave of molasses was at least twenty feet tall, and swirling and churning in every direction. With each passing second, it devoured more of the waterfront.
  11. propel
    cause to move forward with force
    It took all of Carmen’s strength to propel herself forward through the muck.
  12. huddle
    crowd or draw together
    She and Tony huddled together, too terrified to talk.
  13. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    Another man was thrashing wildly, trying to keep his head above the surface.
  14. desperately
    in a state of intense distress and hopelessness
    Carmen desperately kicked her legs and spun her arms. She stretched out her neck to try to get her head back above the goo.
  15. flail
    thrash about
    The more she flailed, the deeper she sank.
  16. gush
    flow forth in a sudden stream or jet
    She felt her blood spill out, gushing into the swirling river that was carrying her away.
  17. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    But she didn’t let go.
    Not until the men found her washed up next to a smashed house, and pried her arms away.
  18. bellow
    shout loudly and without restraint
    “She’s alive!” he bellowed.
  19. daze
    feeling of disbelief when something bad happens accidentally
    He’d sloshed his way out and wandered around in a daze.
  20. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    Mrs. Grasso was already looking for him, searching frantically.
  21. quiver
    shake with fast, tremulous movements
    “And then we looked for you,” Tony told Carmen now, his lip quivering.
  22. flicker
    shine unsteadily
    The moon was bright, and the flickering streetlights cast a glow on the city.
  23. slug
    strike heavily, especially with the fist or a bat
    “Shhhh!” Tony said, slugging Frankie’s arm. “The present is a surprise.”
  24. beam
    express joy through one's facial expression
    He beamed at her. He looked like he was about to burst with excitement.
  25. pang
    a mental pain or distress
    She felt a pang in her heart as she realized how much she’d missed Italy.
Created on Tue May 23 09:58:37 EDT 2023 (updated Tue May 23 12:04:57 EDT 2023)

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