Give Me a Sign: Chapters 6–14

by Anna Sortino
Struggling with hearing loss, seventeen-year-old Lilah gets a job at a summer camp for the deaf and blind to improve her use of American Sign Language.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–14, Chapters 15–23, Chapters 24–32
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. commandeer
    take arbitrarily or by force
    She walks over to my bunk and asks, “Want a ride? We’re gonna commandeer the golf cart.”
  2. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    Simone and I laugh but share an incredulous glance as Mackenzie hurries to the wheel.
  3. misconception
    an incorrect assumption
    There’s a misconception that a gathering of deaf people is silent, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. At camp, we crank the volume on everything to the max.
  4. tic
    a usually unconscious habit or quirk of speech or behavior
    I give a small nod, reaching back to my ears, needing to confirm that I did, in fact, take out my hearing aids. I obviously can tell the difference, but it’s a nervous tic of mine whenever I’m about to dive into a pool or step into the shower.
  5. buoy
    an anchored float that marks locations in a body of water
    I squint through the darkness and see the two of them stripping off their jackets, each grabbing a red buoy and wading into the water.
  6. contemplate
    consider as a possibility
    But as I’m contemplating what words I have in my arsenal to formulate a better explanation, Natasha interrupts me.
  7. sustainable
    capable of being prolonged
    My phone’s alarm isn’t loud enough, and its vibrations aren’t strong enough to reliably alert me, so I usually depend on my parents dragging me out of bed each morning, which really won’t be sustainable when I leave for college in a year.
  8. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Or did Simone and Bobby tattle on me for having a crush on a counselor, and Gary wants to stifle that before it becomes a potentially rule-breaking situation?
  9. unconventional
    not conforming to accepted rules or standards
    “It’s unconventional, and we’ve already got you taking on a lot of responsibility as a junior counselor, but would you be fine with covering one of the weekly shifts?”
  10. oblige
    provide a service or favor for someone
    “Grab another chair. It’ll go faster with two people.”
    I scrunch my face even more but oblige, fetching a wobbly, old folding chair.
  11. comprise
    include or contain
    She seems to be about nine or ten, on the older end of our group, which comprises ages seven through ten.
  12. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    I didn’t think I’d see this sweet girl so angry, let alone with the amount of fury in her eyes as she stares down Blake. On the other hand, Blake looks indignant.
  13. reprimand
    censure severely or angrily
    Right, I need to help defuse this situation somehow. Am I supposed to reprimand Blake?
  14. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    Oliver isn’t oblivious to this, and smiles my way again, continuing his litany of rules.
  15. litany
    any long and tedious address or recital
    Oliver isn’t oblivious to this, and smiles my way again, continuing his litany of rules.
  16. suffice
    be adequate, either in quality or quantity
    The beach is chilly. Most of the campers put on jackets, but I thought my long-sleeved shirt would suffice.
  17. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    Isaac gingerly inspects his forehead, which is bright red.
  18. cheeky
    offensively bold
    “Sorry, what was that?” I ask. “Pardon?” I add, with a cheeky smile.
  19. hull
    the frame or body of a ship
    Mackenzie kneels and reaches out to push the hull, helping me flip this thing upright.
  20. pique
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    Okay, my interest is piqued.
  21. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    Once she’s farther away, Blake practically materializes beside me.
  22. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    I grit my teeth, barely managing to keep my composure. My face must be pure rage.
  23. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    “Uh, who are they?” I point to the men, not even bothering to be discreet.
  24. debacle
    a sudden and complete disaster
    I sat out of swimming all day today, since I’m still without proper attire after yesterday’s pool debacle.
  25. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    I know exactly what’s coming, as well as the response it will elicit from me.
  26. farfetched
    highly imaginative but unlikely
    There’s a limited number of camp weeks. Then it’s over.
    With this timeline, maybe it isn’t farfetched for me to admit my feelings so plainly.
  27. elaborate
    add details to clarify an idea
    They both can tell I’m upset and wait for me to elaborate.
  28. infer
    conclude by reasoning
    “Isaac doesn’t...” I say, letting them infer what I’m talking about.
  29. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
    Back at my table, Blake takes advantage of my apathy this morning by topping her pancakes sky-high with chocolate chips.
  30. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    He looks like he’s been dying to talk about something.
    “Oh, really?” I’m intrigued and happy for any distractions.
  31. intersperse
    place between or among
    Gary tries to discreetly gesture that we should leave space at each table for our guests, but all the other groups clump together as well, not wanting to sit interspersed with the donors.
  32. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Mackenzie tries to coax some of us to come chat with the potential donors, but none of the girls follow, so she goes on her own and appears to be having a grand time.
  33. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
    “Well, I was a camper. But now I’m seventeen—well, eighteen this fall, and yeah.” Really coherent here, Lilah.
  34. terminology
    a system of words used to name things in a discipline
    “So you’re hearing impaired?”
    “Hard of hearing,” I correct her, though I also dislike this preferred terminology.
  35. decibel
    a unit of sound intensity
    Because my hearing falls short of a profound ninety decibels, some might argue that the severe loss isn’t diagnostically deaf, making me feel like I have to watch my step with my own identity.
  36. imply
    express or state indirectly
    “You’re so well-spoken. I’m sure you’ll do very well.”
    “Well-spoken?” I repeat. I hate what she’s implying.
  37. par
    a state of being essentially equal or equivalent
    It’s not on par with someone who has lost a few decibels to loud music.
  38. funk
    a state of nervous depression
    I’ve been in a funk all day, worried about the future of Gray Wolf and nervous about my situation with Isaac.
  39. inclined
    having a preference, disposition, or tendency
    Maybe if the campgrounds had nicer showers, we’d be less inclined to call a dip in the lake or the pool a good-enough wash.
  40. incorporate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
    With increasingly animated movements, incorporating more and more ASL grammar, Isaac demonstrates the watermelon exploding, over both him and Jaden, chunks sticking to their hair and juice running down their faces.
Created on Tue Jan 23 09:56:32 EST 2024 (updated Thu Jan 25 11:13:13 EST 2024)

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