The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman: Chapters 1–5

by Mari Lowe
Despite living in what she describes as one of the most Jewish towns in the United States, where her sixth grade class is the nicest of the school, Shaindel Goodman decides to join her neighbor in setting up pranks on other students.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–16, Chapters 17–23
40 words 38 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    I hobble to the back door in my Rollerblades and push it open with my clean arm, wiggling out of the Rollerblades and going to wash up.
  2. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    Gayil crooks a finger as though she is beckoning me, and I blink at her in surprise.
  3. waft
    blow gently
    Carefully, I walk across the room, a cool breeze wafting in from outside and tingling at my skin.
  4. coy
    showing marked and often playful evasiveness or reluctance
    Gayil is still there, a smile on her face. It’s almost teasing, almost coy, transforming her face into something mischievous.
  5. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    I pause, transfixed, and I know that she can see me staring at her.
  6. stark
    devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
    She lifts her hands, and I see that there’s a paper in them, words written in stark black marker against the white background.
  7. venture
    put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation
    I edge down along the trampoline beside her, the hard plastic textured enough that I can feel it on my knees through my grey pleated skirt, and I venture, “Did you want me to come out here?”
  8. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    Gayil startles, lurching back on the bouncy mat.
  9. confidante
    a woman or girl to whom secrets can be entrusted
    She hadn’t brought me here just to share either. I’m not her confidante.
  10. elusive
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    The perfect Bais Yaakov girl is an elusive concept, someone respectful and understanding and energetic and modest, friends with everyone and giving of her time, and Gayil is as close as it gets.
  11. modest
    following standards of propriety in conduct or appearance
    Rena Pollack is one of Gayil’s closest best friends, a tall girl with curly dark ringlets that are always held back in a headband, neat and modest, just like our teachers want our hair to be.
  12. prod
    poke or thrust abruptly
    She pokes a finger at my face, prodding my forehead, and she tilts her head and takes me in.
  13. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    She clambers to her feet, popping out the wheels of her shoes and gliding across the trampoline mat.
  14. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    “Mm,” Gayil says, then, wistfully, “I miss the sun.”
  15. yeshiva
    an academy for the advanced study of Jewish texts
    At the yeshiva, there are still some men and boys lingering at the corner closest to us, waiting for rides or finishing up inside, but our school is empty.
  16. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    She walks carefully, tentatively through the hallways, and I glance around for cameras as I close the door behind us.
  17. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    “Of course. She’s my best friend.” Gayil sounds very smug.
  18. illicit
    contrary to accepted morality or convention
    Now that Rena’s locker is open, this feels suddenly illicit, like we can get caught at any minute.
  19. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
    “Hey, Camp Kinor solidarity,” she says cheerfully, grinning at the logo on the side of the pencil as though she’d forgotten that I’d been in camp with her this summer.
  20. gait
    a person's manner of walking
    There are loud footsteps, the clomping gait of the school custodian somewhere nearby, and I hesitate, ready to run.
  21. reedy
    thin and high-pitched in tone
    “I’m sure some of you already have your Succah up,” she says in her reedy, always wry voice.
  22. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    “I’m sure some of you already have your Succah up,” she says in her reedy, always wry voice.
  23. engaging
    attracting or delighting
    Morah Neuman is one of the older teachers in the school, tall and stern and engaging, and I can never quite tell when she’s serious or speaking in a deadpan.
  24. deadpan
    deliberately impassive in manner
    Morah Neuman is one of the older teachers in the school, tall and stern and engaging, and I can never quite tell when she’s serious or speaking in a deadpan.
  25. concede
    be willing to yield
    “All right,” Morah Neuman concedes.
  26. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    The projects this year are big foam boards wrapped in black velvet with elaborate designs in thin grey lines across them.
  27. adorn
    make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
    There is a Hebrew phrase at the center of the board, v’samachta b’chagecha, and flowers adorn each of the swirling lines around it.
  28. iridescence
    the visual property of having lustrous, varying colors
    If I use only the lighter colors, I can create a kind of iridescence in the flowers.
  29. repentance
    remorse for your past conduct
    “Teshuva means repentance,” soft-spoken Tzivia Krasner says from the seat behind me. I push my pins in, focused on my task and listening with half an ear. “Like when you stop doing something wrong.”
  30. spiteful
    showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt
    It’s mean and spiteful to do that, and my class is anything but mean.
  31. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Gayil gets up suddenly, grabbing one of the two bathroom passes at the front of the room and sauntering out, and Morah Neuman looks more bemused than disapproving of her.
  32. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    Gayil gets up suddenly, grabbing one of the two bathroom passes at the front of the room and sauntering out, and Morah Neuman looks more bemused than disapproving of her.
  33. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    The Rollerblade is a dingy one, and it’s attached to thick, grey knee socks and a plaid grey skirt, topped off by a light blue polo and Tzivia’s worried face peering down at me.
  34. chagrin
    cause to feel shame
    “Sorry!” she says, chagrined.
  35. mousy
    having a drab pale brown color
    Tzivia shrugs, a self-conscious finger twirling through her mousy brown hair until some of it is pulled free from her ponytail.
  36. genuinely
    in accordance with truth or fact or reality
    Devorah looks down at most people, not by personality—she’s friends with everyone and is genuinely nice—but because she’s already taller than some of our teachers.
  37. aback
    by surprise
    “I am not putting mayonnaise in my hair!” she shouts, and Mrs. Beim looks taken aback.
  38. vain
    having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    Rena is fine, just a little shocked, and everyone knows that she’s vain about her hair.
  39. agitate
    cause to be excited or roused
    Obviously, we’ll have to be more careful this time to do something harmless. We hadn’t meant to agitate Rena so much.
  40. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    “I’m not very good,” I admit, flushing under her attention.
Created on Sat Mar 30 15:02:27 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Mar 31 14:49:56 EDT 2024)

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