I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910: Chapters 9–17

by Lauren Tarshis
In this twenty-second book of the historical fiction I Survived series, eleven-year-old orphan Janie Pryor is carrying stolen jewels to Seattle, Washington, when blizzards throughout the state strand the train, right below a mountain.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–17
35 words 17 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    The cold drilled through Janie’s thin wool coat and up through the patched holes in her flimsy boots.
  2. numb
    lacking sensation
    Janie thought of those many freezing nights she’d spent shivering behind buildings, hiding out from the police. How her hands would get numb.
  3. lurch
    move abruptly
    Janie lurched forward and thrust her arms into the snow.
  4. devour
    eat greedily
    After Mrs. Kayden left, Violet devoured a stack of pancakes.
  5. shaggy
    having long, thick, and poorly groomed hair or fur
    “I’m ready for my nap!” he said, rubbing his hands through his shaggy beard.
  6. chap
    a boy or man
    “The conductor. Mr. Pettit,” said Mr. Riggins. “He’s a good chap.”
  7. stranded
    cut off or left behind
    “Just a few years ago, in 1907, there was a train like yours that got stranded. They were stuck for ten days.”
  8. slump
    assume a drooping posture or carriage
    The conductor’s shoulders slumped a bit. Janie could see how exhausted he was.
  9. gripe
    complain
    “But this place is even more of a dump than Cascade.”
    Frederick turned to Janie and rolled his eyes. Everyone was getting tired of Mr. Riggins’s griping.
  10. stagger
    walk with great difficulty
    A young man staggered in.
  11. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    He wore tattered work clothes.
  12. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    “I’ve come from Cascade,” the man rasped.
  13. quaver
    give off unsteady sounds
    “There was an avalanche,” he said, his voice quavering.
  14. stammer
    speak haltingly
    “It happened early this morning, before dawn,” the man stammered on. “I heard a terrible sound. At first, I thought it was trains coming. But it was louder than that—I never heard such a sound.”
  15. sharply
    in a forceful or hostile manner
    “Mr. Riggins, please,” Miss Wade said sharply, cutting Mr. Riggins off and flicking her eyes toward Janie and Frederick.
  16. splotch
    an irregularly shaped spot or patch
    Angry red splotches appeared on Mr. Riggins’s cheeks.
  17. clatter
    make a rattling sound
    A fork clattered to the floor.
  18. bitter
    causing a sharp and acrid taste experience
    Food was running low at Bailets; dinner that night was greasy potatoes and bitter fried onions.
  19. assure
    give somebody confidence of the truth of something
    “You’re safer here,” Mr. McBride assured Mrs. Letts.
  20. flinch
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Janie flinched as she suddenly thought of what might be waiting for her in Seattle. Malvo’s goons. The police. More cold nights hiding in filthy alleys.
  21. elegant
    refined and tasteful in appearance, behavior, or style
    Miss Wade plopped her green feathered hat onto the snowman’s bald head.
    “Very elegant,” Mrs. Kayden laughed.
  22. stench
    a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
    Then they went back to their sleeper car and Janie visited the washroom, holding her nose against the stench.
  23. scamper
    run or move about quickly or lightly
    Just then she heard little running footsteps. Janie looked up to see Violet scampering toward her, Mrs. Kayden hurrying behind.
  24. squall
    utter a sudden loud cry
    Somehow, she hadn’t noticed the jewels—baby Billy was squalling in her arms.
  25. freight
    goods carried by a large vehicle
    They’d lock her up somewhere—a shed, the freight car—until they could hand her over to the police.
  26. trek
    any long and difficult trip
    She’d need plenty of strength for her long trek through the snow.
  27. flare
    a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate
    She stared up at the mountain, which was brightly lit by a flare of lightning.
  28. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    Snow swirled all around her. It raked her face, rushed up her nose, pummeled her body like hundreds of fists.
  29. flail
    thrash about
    Janie twisted and spun, neck whipping, legs and arms flailing, muscles tearing.
  30. sliver
    (figurative) a small or narrow piece or slice
    There was just a sliver of space between her mouth and the icy mask of snow. She managed to sip in some small breaths.
  31. muffled
    being or made softer or less loud or clear
    She tried to scream, but she couldn’t fill her lungs enough to make a sound. All that came out was a muffled moan.
  32. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    She didn’t hear the shouts of people frantically clearing away the snow and train wreckage that covered her.
  33. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    An eleven-year-old girl was found alive, buried under snow, fallen trees, and train debris.
  34. bay
    an indentation of a shoreline smaller than a gulf
    She lived with the McBrides now. In their grand house in Seattle, overlooking the bay.
  35. tend
    have care of or look after
    She thought of all those people who had dug through the snow to rescue her. The nurses who had tended to her torn-up hands and broken ribs.
Created on Tue Oct 24 18:51:47 EDT 2023 (updated Wed Nov 01 13:07:38 EDT 2023)

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