Just Right Jillian: Chapters 9–21

by Nicole D. Collier
A fifth grader in Georgia, Jillian tries to keep the promise to her grandmother to believe in herself.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–21, Chapters 22–34
35 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rigid
    having a form maintained by a stiff unyielding frame
    Grammy gave me cardboard looms and lap looms to practice on at first. Then we moved to more serious ones. When I got the hang of it, she gave me my own rigid heddle loom.
  2. shawl
    a garment used to cover the shoulders or head
    The last thing I finished was a scarf for Grammy. Well, it was a little bigger than a scarf, but not as big as a wrap. Mama called it a shawl.
  3. fleck
    a small contrasting part of something
    It was ruby red, Grammy’s color, with flecks of silver and white.
  4. pneumonia
    a serious illness of the lungs that makes it difficult to breathe
    I made it for her as a get-well-soon present when she came down with pneumonia. Something warm to cover her chest when she got a chill.
  5. slat
    a thin strip of wood or metal
    I sat down on a stool across from him and studied the stage's wooden slats.
  6. hearty
    without reservation
    He gave a hearty laugh.
  7. fancy
    not plain; decorative or ornamented
    She'd gotten her hair done for a wedding. It was still fancy, and there was no way her mom was letting her come to school in one of those plain-jane styles.
  8. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    I woke up Monday morning to super shiny twists. The sheen would give Rashida a run for her money, as Daddy would say.
  9. unravel
    disentangle
    I put oil on my fingers, like Mama taught me, and unraveled the chunky twists one by one.
  10. trickle
    run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
    Sweat trickled down my back toward my neck.
  11. zilch
    a quantity of no importance
    “He don't know a single thing," I said.
    “Zero things," said Marquez, slow and low. “Rien. Nada."
    I giggled. “Zilch."
  12. flair
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    He pronounced champion with a French flair.
  13. porous
    allowing passage in and out
    “Eggshells are porous," she said. “That means things like air and bacteria can get in. Including whatever is on our hands."
  14. sassy
    improperly forward or bold
    I turned to the mirror and inspected my reflection. It was weird to see myself so clear and so close, but I have to admit, the glasses were cute! And red! And sassy!
  15. preliminary
    preceding or in preparation for something more important
    It was the first official day of Mind Bender—the preliminary round. After prelims, the top two from every class go to Round 1.
  16. motivate
    give an incentive for action
    I put on a white MOTIVATE THE PLANET T-shirt and my red glasses.
  17. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    “Oh, is that your girlfriend now?'' said William, his cheeks flushing red.
  18. scowl
    frown with displeasure
    I scowled, jealous that she could just speak her mind that way.
  19. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
    "But our mother says we have to have the right decorum at school."
    "Decorum?"
    “That means don't do anything to embarrass her."
  20. prim
    exaggeratedly proper
    Rashida threw her head back and laughed. It was a deep belly laugh, not the way she usually covers her mouth and giggles in class. Not prim and proper. No decorum. Just joy.
  21. fragile
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
    The embryos are getting stronger, but the eggshell is more fragile. So we have to be extra careful.
  22. laryngitis
    an inflammation characterized by hoarseness or loss of voice
    Together we googled sore throats and laryngitis. I gargled with warm salt water and drank hot tea with honey. I needed to be very quiet and rest my voice.
  23. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Marquez just raised his eyebrows and jutted his chin as a hello.
  24. lurch
    move abruptly
    My heart thumped, my stomach lurched, and Ms. W. appeared from nowhere, grabbing my shoulders.
  25. insulator
    a material with little electrical or thermal conductivity
    On the next question—give two examples each of conductors and insulators—I hit the buzzer as soon as I could.
  26. renaissance
    a revival of learning and culture
    I was first to name two figures from the Harlem Renaissance, author Zora Neale Hurston and Mr. Everything Paul Robeson. He was good at school and was an athlete, entertainer, and activist.
  27. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    "Grammy always said what? Have an attitude—"
    "Of gratitude," I mustered.
  28. trance
    a state resembling deep sleep
    Trance: When you're aware of things, but you're sorta not. When you tune in to one channel on the radio and you can’t hear anything else.
  29. warp
    yarn arranged lengthways on a loom
    At some point I grabbed the yarn. Those two beautiful bundles I picked out days ago. I set up the loom and made the warp.
  30. hoarse
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness
    “None of your business," I snipped back, hoarse but loud enough.
  31. mocking
    expressing contempt or ridicule
    “Is that a baby blanket?" he had the nerve to ask, moving closer to me, his voice mocking.
  32. grimace
    a contorted facial expression
    He looked at me with those quiet black-brown eyes and pressed his lips up in a pretend smile. More like a grimace.
  33. downy
    soft and fluffy, like small feathers
    If we could really see the inside of an egg, we'd think the embryo looks like a chick now. There's even downy fuzz all over its body.
  34. wring
    twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
    Fearing for something we could not really imagine, we stood, wringing hands, biting fingers, leaning forward to see what had happened.
  35. compromise
    expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute
    We had to take them out so they wouldn't explode later and compromise the whole hatch.
Created on Wed Dec 27 13:45:45 EST 2023 (updated Wed Dec 27 17:21:29 EST 2023)

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