Caterpillar Summer: Part Two

by Gillian McDunn
Because her mom must travel to teach a summer course, eleven-year-old Catherine Gladwell finds herself in North Carolina, meeting her maternal grandparents for the first time, looking after her seven-year-old brother, and trying to create sweet Gingerbread Island memories.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Parts Three–Four, Part Five
40 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. monogram
    mark, print, or embroider with one’s initials or other letters
    She looked so fancy in dresses that were monogrammed, embroidered, covered in flowers.
  2. embroider
    decorate with needlework
    She looked so fancy in dresses that were monogrammed, embroidered, covered in flowers.
  3. bouquet
    an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
    Cat paused at a fancy picture—a group of teenagers in white dresses, wearing gloves and holding bouquets of flowers.
  4. debutante
    a young woman making her formal entrance into society
    “What’s a debutante ball?”
    “It’s a way of celebrating a girl becoming an adult.”
  5. pang
    a mental pain or distress
    There was something familiar about the picture that Cat couldn’t place, but then she realized it. They looked like a team. Cat felt a pang.
    Cat wanted to find out what happened all those years ago.
  6. keel
    one of the main longitudinal beams of the hull of a vessel
    “I was going to work on my keel and rudder.”
    “Well, for goodness’ sake,” said Lily. “If it can’t wait, bring your ship upstairs.”
  7. awkward
    socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner
    Cat felt awkward, like she had about doing the dishes. She didn’t understand the rules here.
  8. mesh
    an open fabric woven together at regular intervals
    She carried three rolled towels and showed them a mesh bag of sand toys.
  9. excavate
    form by hollowing
    Cat smiled to herself, excavating a handful of sand.
  10. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    Lily handed her a plastic shovel. The shovel was flimsy, but better than using her hands.
  11. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
    “How obnoxious,” said Cat.
    Lily looked like she was thinking about saying something to the boys, but instead she turned to Cat.
  12. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    They didn’t seem to care, just clambered up the hill again, not noticing the plants they trampled.
  13. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    His voice was surprisingly deep and raspy for a little kid.
  14. decent
    sufficient for the purpose
    You’d get more points if you managed a halfway decent flip.
  15. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    John Harvey’s neck flushed.
  16. jostle
    come into rough contact with while moving
    The bigger boys jostled each other, laughing.
  17. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    He glared at her like she was the one who’d done something wrong.
  18. compact
    having a short and solid form or stature
    He was short, but compact and strong-looking in a way most little kids weren’t, his face pinched in a snarl.
  19. lumber
    move heavily or clumsily
    She wanted to climb it in a dash, but instead she lumbered awkwardly.
  20. foothold
    a place that provides support for standing or climbing
    If she paused to take a breath, she slid backward and stumbled on the loose sand. Finally, she found footholds and made her way to the top.
  21. tinker
    do random, unplanned work or activities; spend time idly
    “A bit of woodworking here and there, and I like to tinker in my shop. Used to be hard to find time for everything I wanted to do. Now I’ve got plenty of time to fill.”
  22. stubborn
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    Macon was as stubborn as Mom, but Cat was sure that if he tried fishing again, he would like it.
  23. pivot
    turn on an axis
    He pivoted and walked back the way they came.
  24. aerodynamics
    the branch of mechanics that deals with the motion of gases
    He asked technical questions about the kite and soon he and Macon were deep in conversation about aerodynamics.
  25. stagger
    walk with great difficulty
    She staggered, but straightened again.
  26. stunt
    check the growth or development of
    Cat looked at the silver mug, surprised.
    “Hot chocolate,” he said. “I thought coffee might stunt your growth.”
  27. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    The boy clung to the book, which now had blood spots on it, too. Cat grimaced.
  28. underestimate
    make too low an approximation of
    Chicken had surprised her. First he fought at the library, when Chicken never hurt anyone. Then he used the fight to bargain for a park trip. She’d underestimated her brother.
  29. inspire
    spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
    She launched into a story about how inspired she was by her talented students.
  30. tender
    physically untoughened
    She finished her math worksheet early, and, out of boredom, ran her hand down the paper’s edge. She did it a few times before slicing herself right in the tender part between thumb and forefinger.
  31. sensitive
    responsive to physical stimuli
    “My mom says he’s got a sensitive nose. My dad says he bleeds like a stuck pig if someone looks at him sideways.”
  32. novelty
    originality by virtue of being refreshingly new
    On the back a novelty license plate spelled Amanda.
  33. sheepishly
    in a manner showing embarrassment or shame
    He looked at her sheepishly. “I needed just a bit more time to get it fixed up.”
  34. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    “Fish are good eating.”
    “Maybe.” Cat was skeptical. If it was about eating fish, it would be easier to get them from the store.
  35. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    She spotted a purple house with a garden jammed full of plants and intricate sculptures.
  36. awning
    a canvas canopy to shelter people or things from rain or sun
    Seven kinds of wind chimes dangled from the awning and a pair of Neddie-size rain boots stood by the door.
  37. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
    They looped around downtown and coasted past the library before Harriet veered into a narrow alley.
  38. apparently
    seemingly; as far as one can tell
    She looked down and saw the scruffiest face looking back, a small dog that apparently had been assembled from leftover dog parts.
  39. reel
    winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle
    Cat pushed the button on the handle of the reel. The line sank into the water and drifted sideways.
  40. reception
    a formal party
    The college is having a reception for me.
Created on Mon Mar 18 17:02:23 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Mar 19 17:21:21 EDT 2024)

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