I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944: Chapters 10–19

by Lauren Tarshis
In this eighteenth book of the historical fiction I Survived series, eleven-year-old Paul Colbert is on a cliff in Normandy, France, helping the resistance blow up Nazi cannons, when the Allied battleships begin firing on Omaha Beach.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–9, Chapters 10–19
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. gorge
    overeat or eat immodestly
    There was Marie, the young woman who had served him the cookies at the bakery. Her work at the shop made her one of the resistance’s most prized spies. She’d picked up many secrets listening while the Nazi soldiers gorged themselves on cakes and tarts.
  2. tart
    a small open pie with a fruit filling
    There was Marie, the young woman who had served him the cookies at the bakery. Her work at the shop made her one of the resistance’s most prized spies. She’d picked up many secrets listening while the Nazi soldiers gorged themselves on cakes and tarts.
  3. suspect
    believe to be guilty
    Paul would never have guessed any of these people would be in the resistance. And of course the person he’d least suspected was sitting next to him.
  4. urgent
    compelling immediate action
    Mr. Leon had gathered them to discuss an urgent mission, the one that Victor had come to Le Roc to help with.
  5. slaughter
    the savage and excessive killing of many people
    “I don’t have to tell you what those Nebelwerfers could do to those men trying to come onto the beaches. It will be a slaughter.”
  6. stew
    cook slowly and for a long time in liquid
    Their supper—bread and stewed onions—was cold.
  7. tailor
    adjust to a specific need or market
    She was tailoring a jacket for one of her customers, a reminder that even resistance fighters still needed jobs.
  8. quip
    make jokes or witty remarks
    “We hear that Hitler is on vacation in the mountains of Germany,” Mr. Leon said.
    “I’m afraid his vacation is about to be ruined,” Mrs. Bernard quipped.
    They all laughed.
  9. ammunition
    projectiles to be fired from a gun
    Each group had been given a different assignment by the Allies. Roads to dynamite. Bridges to destroy. Ammunition warehouses to blow up.
  10. swollen
    abnormally enlarged, bloated, or expanded
    His ankle was swollen like a melon.
  11. sprain
    twist suddenly so as to wrench
    It looked broken, or at least very badly sprained.
  12. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    “No,” Mr. Leon said sternly. “You cannot blame yourself.”
  13. wade
    walk through relatively shallow water
    They would wade ashore in the freezing water, carrying their guns and supplies.
  14. official
    verified authoritatively
    The burned body was a lie, a trick. Pierre wrote up a report in the police department to make it appear official.
  15. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    They hiked up a steep hill, and then there they were.
  16. dread
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    Excitement rose up in Paul, but it quickly turned to dread. Because now the Nazis knew that the Allies were attacking them.
  17. blare
    make a loud noise
    A siren blared.
  18. bunker
    an underground shelter or fortification
    Paul realized
 he and Mr. Leon were near the entrance to an underground bunker.
  19. sear
    cause a burning or stinging pain
    The gagging stench of burning metal and melting rubber seared Paul’s eyes and nose.
  20. glint
    a momentary flash of light
    He reminded Paul of Stroop—the animal glint in his eye, the knife-sharp edge of his voice.
  21. slab
    block consisting of a thick piece of something
    The Nazi reached over and roughly searched Paul’s pockets. He pulled out something small.
    Paul’s blood turned to ice. The C-3—that extra slab that Mr. Leon had given him.
  22. clamp
    fasten with or as with a device that holds things tightly
    Paul turned to bolt, but the Nazi clamped his hand on Paul’s arm.
  23. billowing
    characterized by great swelling waves or surges
    Paul rolled away from him as black, billowing smoke blinded him.
  24. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    Were the Nazis slinking away or huddled in their bunkers?
  25. stake
    a strong wooden or metal post driven into the ground
    The Germans had lined the beach with giant metal and wooden stakes.
  26. mine
    explosive device that explodes on contact
    There were also underground bombs—mines—buried under the sand, Paul had heard.
  27. soothe
    cause to feel better
    The silence helped soothe his head, which still ached from when he got hit on the night of the invasion.
  28. stride
    walk with long steps
    “Search the castle,” Stroop ordered the men, who strode through the castle door.
  29. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    And with all the strength he could muster, he lifted it up, and slammed it against Stroop’s head.
  30. piercing
    having or emitting a high-pitched tone or tones
    With a piercing shriek it attacked the Nazi.
  31. stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    Stroop staggered back in terror until he hit the tower wall.
  32. teeter
    move unsteadily, with a rocking motion
    Stroop teetered on the edge.
  33. spare
    save or relieve from an experience or action
    The Allies dropped thousands of bombs to try to stop the Nazi troops, to destroy their supplies and weapons. They tried to spare the people of Normandy. But by the time the Nazis finally fled, thousands of French people were dead.
  34. stroke
    touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions
    “You really walked for four months, Grandpa?” Jacques would ask, stroking his grandfather’s snow-white beard.
  35. brim
    be completely full
    She later explained it to Paul, tears brimming in her eyes.
Created on Tue Oct 24 18:32:08 EDT 2023 (updated Mon Oct 30 09:32:37 EDT 2023)

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