When Sea Becomes Sky: Part One

by Gillian McDunn
On Pelican Island, where both developers and a drought are threatening the Carolina salt marsh, twelve-year-old Rebecca (Bex) Wheeler discovers a statue, whose mystery distracts her from family troubles.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Parts Four–Five
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. crick
    a painful muscle spasm, especially in the neck or back
    I’d never thought twice about the rain until it disappeared on us, but that summer I had a constant crick in my neck from staring upward, wondering what might come next.
  2. incorrigible
    impervious to correction by punishment
    As always, his incorrigible cat, Squish, had tagged along.
  3. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    He scratched idly at a mosquito bite behind his ear, but his eyes never left the page.
  4. graze
    scrape gently
    Quickly, I plucked a twig and launched it in his direction. It grazed his nose and fell onto the page in front of him.
  5. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    Davey leaned forward, eyes wide and earnest. “Listen, Bex. What’s that thing you always say about writers?”
  6. placid
    not easily irritated
    Davey rummaged in his red backpack, which held a rotation of items, such as favorite rocks or leaves, a beat-up water bottle, and, once, an unusually placid and forgiving frog.
  7. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
    Over the years, my parents and teachers have labeled me as “contentious,” which means that I was born to argue.
  8. squabble
    a quarrel about petty points
    My brother was naturally easygoing—but because he knew how much I loved a good squabble, he’d never dream of letting me win without a fight.
  9. furrow
    a slight depression in the smoothness of a surface
    I shifted on the branch, the deep furrows of the tree pressing their pattern against my back.
  10. thatch
    plant stalks used as roofing material
    Thick thatches of smooth cordgrass rose up like islands among the deep-blue streams.
  11. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Fiddler crabs scuttled along the shore’s sandy edges.
  12. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    Terrapins clambered onto logs, soaking up sunbeams for the energy they’d need when hunting their supper.
  13. dapple
    color with streaks or blotches of different shades
    Sunshine dappled the water and made me squint.
  14. unyielding
    resistant to physical force or pressure
    I studied it for a moment, puzzled. Too firm for an animal. Too unyielding for a plant.
  15. reel
    winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle
    The thing about writing is this: if you go a few lines and realize the story isn’t right, you can take the words back. It’s easy to erase—to zip them back just as I would with the line on a fishing reel.
  16. tread
    put down, place, or press the foot
    I kicked off my sneakers and waded into the marsh, treading carefully to avoid the wrack that lined the shore.
  17. listless
    lacking zest or vivacity
    Normally, the fish would dart away, but they seemed listless. There was nothing cool or refreshing about this water.
  18. cascade
    a sudden downpour likened to a rain shower
    I wrung out the bottom of my T-shirt, releasing a cascade of water.
  19. breadth
    the capacity to understand a broad range of topics
    He took pride in the breadth and depth of his reading interests.
  20. prod
    poke or thrust abruptly
    Davey frowned, prodding a mosquito bite on his knee.
  21. incline
    an elevated geological formation
    We scrambled up the short incline to our house.
  22. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    Usually, Mom left her kayak out to drain. When I hadn’t seen it at the dock, I assumed she was gone.
  23. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    I watched Davey sidle closer. He didn’t want to miss our discussion.
  24. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    Davey leaned against the house casually, looking back and forth between us.
  25. gingham
    a woven cotton fabric, typically with a checked pattern
    Nestled inside a blue gingham cloth were several jewel-colored jars of jam, including blackberry habanero, cucumber mint, and guava fig.
  26. stifle
    conceal or hide
    Davey stifled a giggle behind his hand.
  27. practically
    almost; nearly
    I’m older so I should be quicker, but Davey practically teleported up those stairs.
  28. ruddy
    of the color between orange and purple in the color spectrum
    His naturally light skin had turned rough and ruddy from being on the water so much, with layered freckles dusting his arms and cheeks.
  29. calico
    having patches colored differently and usually brightly
    He gently rubbed behind her silky ears. She was a calico—white with patches of orange and black.
  30. hearty
    consuming abundantly and with gusto
    “Kale,” I muttered. “Blargh.”
    Davey giggled. Dad ignored us, swallowing a hearty bite.
  31. nook
    a secluded place, corner, or recessed area
    I grinned, watching as she carried her mug to the nook off the living room where a desk crowded in alongside the shelves that held her logbooks—fourteen years of research on water levels, temperatures, and biological activity.
  32. hull
    the frame or body of a ship
    Squish rubbed against my shins, looking at me questioningly.
    “Of course,” I said, placing her in the hull of the boat.
  33. brackish
    slightly salty
    From a distance, someone might glimpse the brackish water and patches of green cordgrass and think there was nothing more to see. But the marsh was never meant to be a picture postcard.
  34. canopy
    the uppermost layer of branches and foliage in a forest
    Quickly, he disappeared into the canopy of leaves.
  35. coarse
    rough to the touch
    It was a long haul from the areas where the tourists gathered, with powdery beaches and crystal-blue waters. The marsh, with its coarse sand and salty, pungent smell, was strictly for locals.
  36. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    It was a long haul from the areas where the tourists gathered, with powdery beaches and crystal-blue waters. The marsh, with its coarse sand and salty, pungent smell, was strictly for locals.
  37. scraggly
    lacking neatness or order
    The Thumb was too scraggly to reach from the island itself, and only small boats could travel through this side of the marsh.
  38. revitalization
    the act of bringing new life, activity, or prominence to
    Although I strained to hear bits of their conversation, I didn’t understand the meaning of their words: “structure,” “thoroughfare,” and “revitalization.”
  39. remote
    inaccessible and sparsely populated
    “It’s pretty here but so remote—that’s got to be boring for a kid your age, right?”
  40. industry
    the people engaged in a kind of commercial enterprise
    “We’re developing this area with a road that will eventually connect to a bridge that goes all the way to the mainland. It’s really going to help the tourism industry out here.”
Created on Sat Jul 20 16:54:18 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Jul 21 15:31:48 EDT 2024)

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