The School for Invisible Boys: Chapters 11–22

by Shaun David Hutchinson
This first book of The Kairos Files series introduces Hector Myles Griggs, a sixth grader whose sudden ability to turn invisible protects him from human threats at Florida's St. Lawrence's Catholic School for Boys, yet lands him in another dimension with a monster that feeds on fear.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–22, Chapters 23–37, Chapters 38–48
40 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ascertain
    learn or determine by making an inquiry or other effort
    Mr. Morhill patted the yearbooks. “So you intend to comb through these in an attempt to ascertain his identity?”
  2. render
    cause to become
    “Surely, if some tragedy befell the young man which rendered him an apparition, you could unearth the circumstances using the computer.”
  3. apparition
    a ghostly appearing figure
    “Surely, if some tragedy befell the young man which rendered him an apparition, you could unearth the circumstances using the computer.”
  4. intriguing
    capable of arousing interest or curiosity
    “What if we just can’t see him?”
    “Intriguing hypothesis.”
  5. incorporeal
    without material form or substance
    “What you’ve described certainly sounds like we’re dealing with an incorporeal ghost.”
  6. insubstantial
    lacking material form
    “Incorporeal,” Mr. Morhill repeated. “Insubstantial.”
    “Oh. So when is a ghost not really a ghost?”
  7. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I stifled a yelp and looked up to find a girl standing beside my table.
  8. invincible
    incapable of being overcome or subdued
    I hadn’t turned invisible since seeing Orson in the stairwell, and I was a little afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it again, but as soon as I shut the door behind me, I only had to think about it and I vanished. It was as easy as passing out of a sunbeam into a shadow. Exhilaration lifted me like a helium-filled balloon. I felt invincible.
  9. impenetrable
    not admitting of passage into or through
    Maybe, with my power, I’d become a spy. I could infiltrate impenetrable buildings, get close to people no other spy could reach.
  10. grizzled
    having gray or partially gray hair
    A long, grizzled tentacle snaked up the stairs toward us.
  11. mottled
    having spots or patches of color
    Clusters of wiry hair poked out of mottled green flesh, and instead of suckers, the pale underside was dotted with gaping mouths filled with needle teeth.
  12. askew
    turned or twisted to one side
    As the tentacle dragged me into the stairwell, Orson ran toward me, his glasses askew, yelling like his hair was on fire.
  13. banshee
    a female spirit who wails to warn of impending death
    “Hector Griggs! What in the world are you doing in this hallway screaming like a banshee?”
  14. ludicrous
    inviting ridicule
    “Sneaking around school? Making up ludicrous stories about monsters and ghosts and invisible boys? And I hear from Coach Barbary that you’ve been fighting with Blake Nesbitt?”
  15. wispy
    thin and weak
    Principal O’Shea was possibly the oldest man I’d met in my entire life. Wispy white hair stuck out from behind and inside his ears, his papery skin was spotted and gray, and his thick glasses gave him bug eyes.
  16. chisel
    carve with an edge tool
    She’d arrived wearing a scowl that looked like it had been chiseled onto her stony face.
  17. idle
    not in action or at work
    “You’ll begin Monday. Miss DeVore has plenty of tasks to keep your idle hands busy.”
  18. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    They were like that all weekend, exploiting every opportunity to make fun of me.
  19. flushed
    reddened as if with blood from emotion or exertion
    His skin was flushed and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. He looked feverish and sick, like he had the flu.
  20. endure
    undergo or be subjected to
    It wasn’t the worst punishment I’d ever endured, and it was certainly better than pulling weeds.
  21. trove
    a valuable collection or treasure found hidden
    She had a seemingly endless treasure trove of stories about St. Lawrence students.
  22. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
    She sounded wistful and a bit sad, but I didn’t understand why.
  23. casualty
    an accident that causes someone to die
    “But young Ulysses’s change was more than the casualty of a dream. He lost a friend, if I remember correctly. A best friend.”
  24. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
    “My apologies. Missing lunch is punishment enough. You shouldn’t have to suffer maudlin stories from an old lady with a long memory.”
  25. compact
    closely and firmly united or packed together
    Sam dug two compact walkie-talkies out of her bag.
  26. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    Skeptical they would work, I turned on the walkie-talkie, and we tested them to make sure they were on the same frequency before I became invisible.
  27. wilt
    become fatigued; lose strength
    “You won’t be able to help if I run into the monster, though.”
    Sam’s enthusiasm wilted.
  28. agitate
    be an advocate for
    “I’ve been agitating to digitize them for years, but William is set in his ways.”
  29. waffle
    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
    “Does Mr. Morhill know you sprang me from class?”
    Sam waffled. “Kind of. Not really. But he’ll cover for me. Don’t worry about it.”
  30. slump
    assume a drooping posture or carriage
    His shoulders slumped and he drifted back to sit on the piano bench.
  31. sluggish
    lacking energy, quickness, or alertness
    “The gelim’s a little more sluggish during the day, but it doesn’t really sleep. Neither do I. Not here. Nothing sleeps here.”
  32. golem
    an artificial human that is given life by supernatural means
    I’d read about golems, and I doubted anyone would have intentionally created the monster that had attacked me and Orson.
  33. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    “Come back and we’ll figure out another way to rescue Orson.”
    Orson reluctantly let go of my hand.
  34. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
    My instincts told me to steer clear of the clergy house, but my conscience wouldn’t let me walk away if there was a chance Orson or someone else needed help.
  35. gremlin
    (folklore) a small fairy-like creature that is somewhat mischievous
    It’ll be easier if you talk to me so that I can learn more about the lost place and the gremlin or whatever you called the monster, but I’m going to keep trying to help you either way.
  36. ruefully
    in a manner expressing pain or sorrow
    “There’s nothing to eat, and I won’t die of hunger, but I’m always hungry. I can’t sleep, but I’m always tired. I’m still the same age I was three years ago when I got stuck here.” Orson chuckled ruefully. “So, yeah, really amazing except for all the ways it sucks.”
  37. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    “The building’s not gonna up and walk away, but desks get shuffled around a lot, which is why you can’t move them. The longer an object sits in one place, the more tangible it becomes. As long as an object stays rooted, you can touch it on this side.”
  38. bangle
    jewelry worn around the wrist for decoration
    He dug around his stash until he found a silver bangle set with a turquoise stone.
  39. novelty
    originality by virtue of being refreshingly new
    When the novelty of not having a shadow wore off, I said, “I should get back in case Miss DeVore checks on me.”
  40. overwhelm
    overcome by superior force
    “If every student at this school attacked the gelim at once, we might be able to overwhelm it, but alone?” He shook his head grimly. “Since I can’t leave like you can, the best I can do is hide and hope it never finds me.”
Created on Sat Aug 03 17:37:51 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Aug 04 12:00:50 EDT 2024)

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