I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906: Chapters 1–7

by Lauren Tarshis
In this fifth book of the historical fiction I Survived series, eleven-year-old orphan Leo Ross pretends to be a ghost to scare a couple of thieves, but then, the ground beneath him begins to shake.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–14
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. carriage
    a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses
    Carriage drivers fed their horses.
  2. rumble
    utter or emit low, dull, resonant sounds
    When the rumbling started, Leo thought it might be thunder.
  3. rickety
    inclined to shake as from weakness or defect
    Leo would hold it tight in his hand as Papa told tales of Grandpop’s adventures—crossing America all alone in a creaky old wagon, almost getting eaten by a giant grizzly in the Rocky Mountains, surviving a forest fire in the Sierras, living in San Francisco when it was just a bunch of rickety houses in the mud.
  4. remarkable
    unusual or striking
    You’ve got his good luck. You’ve got his guts. Something remarkable is going to happen to you.
  5. gush
    flow forth in a sudden stream or jet
    Next thing Leo knew, he’d been smashed against a brick wall, and blood was gushing out of his nose.
  6. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    “Hand it over,” said a raspy voice.
  7. brutal
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    It was Fletch Sikes, the most brutal thief in the neighborhood.
  8. vicious
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    He’d survived, but one of the dogs had bitten his throat. The bite ruined his voice. And turned Fletch vicious.
  9. abandoned
    forsaken by owner or inhabitants
    He’d heard that they were hiding out in an old, abandoned saloon on Rincon Hill.
  10. summon
    gather or bring together
    “No," Leo said, summoning up all of his strength.
  11. searing
    intense or sharp
    But the worst was the searing pain from somewhere deep inside, like something had been ripped out of him.
  12. constant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    Why did that kid constantly pester him?
  13. pester
    annoy persistently
    Why did that kid constantly pester him?
  14. spare
    not taken up by scheduled activities
    The kid worked at a grocery, but he spent every spare second at the public library.
  15. fume
    be mad, angry, or furious
    “Whoever did this to you,” Morris fumed, “I swear I’ll get them!”
  16. slump
    assume a drooping posture or carriage
    Morris’s shoulders slumped.
  17. clobber
    strike violently and repeatedly
    The kid was so desperate for friends he’d spilled Leo’s most important secret. He should clobber him.
  18. jabber
    talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
    Together they made their way back to the boardinghouse.
    Morris jabbered the entire way.
  19. stubborn
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    There was a look on his face—a thoughtful and stubborn kind of look—that reminded Leo of the way President Roosevelt appeared on the front page of today’s paper.
  20. grizzly
    powerful brownish-yellow bear of western North America
    Grandpop knew about the Rocky Mountain grizzlies. They ran faster than mountain lions. They could climb trees. They could rip a person to shreds with a swipe of a paw. Grandpop could see the bear’s claws, ten black daggers glistening in the setting sun.
  21. plain
    an extensive tract of level, open land
    That snake could have killed him. He’d almost stepped on it when he was walking through the tall plains grass, hunting for rabbits.
  22. stroke
    anything that happens suddenly without an apparent cause
    Without a thought, Grandpop had grabbed his knife from his belt and threw it. By some stroke of luck, the blade landed in the center of the snake's head.
  23. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    The snake didn’t die right away. It thrashed wildly, its body coiling around Grandpop’s legs.
  24. snarl
    make an angry, sharp, or abrupt noise
    Far from those tall grasses in the prairie, the grizzly bear snarled at Grandpop, inching closer.
  25. scamper
    run or move about quickly or lightly
    It let off one last roar, and then scampered off.
  26. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    Leo had a tattered old hat of Papa’s.
  27. soul
    a human being
    But Leo didn’t see a soul as he walked through the narrow streets up toward Rincon Hill.
  28. cram
    crowd or pack to capacity
    Other streets were lined with little wooden houses, all crammed together like teeth in a crooked smile.
  29. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    The huge chimney loomed against the black sky.
  30. hinge
    a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing
    The front window was shattered and the front door was hanging off its hinges.
  31. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    He saw two shapes sprawled across the floor, at the back of the saloon.
  32. eerie
    suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
    Leo’s candle gave the room an eerie golden glow.
  33. waver
    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
    “Let’s get out of here,” Wilkie said.
    Fletch wavered a little, Leo could see.
  34. faint
    lacking clarity, brightness, or loudness
    In the faint predawn light, Leo saw the chilling stare on Fletch’s face.
  35. brace
    prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
    Leo closed his eyes and braced himself for a beating.
Created on Mon Oct 16 09:08:52 EDT 2023 (updated Mon Oct 16 15:08:35 EDT 2023)

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