I Funny: Chapters 55–69

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein
This first book of the series introduces middle schooler Jamie Grimm, a wheelchair user who deals with pain and bullies by focusing on winning the title of New York State's Funniest Kid Comic.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 20, Chapters 21–41, Chapters 42–54, Chapters 55–69
30 words 4 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. emcee
    a person who acts as host at formal occasions
    “Our next comic comes from Long Island,” says the emcee.
  2. makeshift
    done or made using whatever is available
    I roll up a makeshift ramp to the stage.
  3. fumble
    handle clumsily
    Hands trembling, I fumble with the mic; twist it out of its clamp.
  4. silhouette
    a filled-in drawing of the outline of an object
    “I’m Jamie Grimm. Maybe you saw my picture on the men’s room door?”
    I pivot sideways to give them a silhouette.
  5. prosper
    make steady progress
    “Anyway, it’s good to be here for the Planet’s Funniest Kid Comic Contest. I hear there are elimination rounds going on today all over the known galaxy. Except on Vulcan. Those people don’t laugh; they just live long and prosper.”
  6. improvise
    perform without preparation
    The audience is laughing, so I improvise a quick bit on some other people who never laugh.
  7. manic
    affected with or marked by frenzy uncontrolled by reason
    I am so jazzed, I slam into a manic mash-up of all my best stuff—while popping wheelies on a few of the punch lines.
  8. illiterate
    not able to read or write
    Illiterate? Write today for help!
  9. cue
    give a signal, prompt, or reminder
    Cue the theme from Rocky!
    It feels like the whole world is clapping and cheering for me. They won’t let me leave the stage!
  10. unanimous
    in complete agreement
    The decision of the judges was unanimous.
  11. insensitive
    not noticing or caring about the feelings or needs of others
    She’s hiding it better than the others, but I can tell: She is totally crushed that I would take our private, extremely personal conversation and make fun of it. Who would do something like that? An insensitive idiot—that’s who.
  12. expense
    a detriment or sacrifice
    I will not make fun of my friends and family, who did nothing but support me.
    I will never, ever be funny at the expense of people I care about.
  13. titter
    laugh nervously
    “Tee-hee. We haven’t laughed this hard in ages. Hee.”
    Even though she sounds like an embarrassed bird when she titters, she’s making me feel way better.
  14. capsule
    a pill in the form of a small rounded gelatinous container
    “You know the secret to staying young, Jamie?” says Uncle Frankie.
    “Yo-yoing while you cook? Your fish-oil capsules?”
  15. bizarre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    And then she’ll tell me all sorts of incredibly weird stuff and ask the most insanely bizarre questions. Like I said before, with her there is no editing.
  16. experimental
    relating to or based on a trial
    Plus no insurance company would ever pay for it, anyway. It’s what they call an ‘experimental procedure.’
  17. scenic
    having a beautiful natural appearance
    “Oh, it’s one of the most scenic drives in the whole state,” I say, somewhat sarcastically.
  18. picturesque
    suggesting or suitable for an artistic composition
    It’s narrow and curvy and hangs off the cliffs on the side of Storm King Mountain. An extremely twisty two-lane road. With a lookout point and a picturesque stone wall to stop you from tumbling off into the river.
  19. account
    the grounds or reason for
    All of a sudden, this truck comes around the side of the cliff. It’s halfway in our lane and fishtailing on account of the slick road.
  20. rig
    a truck consisting of a tractor and trailer together
    Believe it or not, the truck driver wasn’t hurt at all—even though his cab slammed into the cliff and the nose of his big rig crumpled like something in a cartoon.
  21. flare
    a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate
    The state police came. And then an ambulance. Fire trucks. I remember the flares and lots of swirling, flashing lights.
  22. waggish
    witty or joking
    She also took the time to look up a lot of different ways to tell me I’m funny.
    “You’re hysterical, Jamie!” Or “That’s a real knee-slapper, Jamie!” And “My, Jamie, what a waggish, witty, and whimsical way with words!”
  23. whimsical
    indulging in or influenced by the imagination
    She also took the time to look up a lot of different ways to tell me I’m funny.
    “You’re hysterical, Jamie!” Or “That’s a real knee-slapper, Jamie!” And “My, Jamie, what a waggish, witty, and whimsical way with words!”
  24. rehabilitation
    use of therapies to restore or improve physical function
    On Sunday the Smileys take me and Cool Girl upstate to visit the place I called home right before I moved to Smileyville.
    The Hope Trust Children’s Rehabilitation Center.
  25. condition
    an illness, disease, or other medical problem
    It’s a special hospital for kids who’ve been in horrible accidents or have other kinds of super-serious medical conditions.
  26. trauma
    physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident
    It’s where I spent nearly a year recovering from the “severe trauma” of the car wreck.
  27. zonk
    make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow
    “Remember when I was, like, totally zonked out, and all you kids called me Scuba Dude?”
    “Um, yeah?”
    “I heard that, man. I heard every word.”
  28. lanyard
    a cord worn around the neck to hold a whistle, badge, etc.
    I came here in the summer. Some kids go to camp—paddle canoes and get a whistle lanyard. Not me. I came here, did PT, and got my own personal bedpan.
  29. wisecrack
    make a witty or sarcastic comment
    I’ll be up against Billy Crystal’s extremely funny nephew and a hilarious, wisecracking dog.
  30. simultaneously
    at the same instant
    Maybe in the next book, Uncle Frankie will teach me how to do Around the World with a yo-yo in one hand while simultaneously plopping pickles on hamburger buns with the other.
Created on Wed Aug 14 10:40:54 EDT 2024 (updated Wed Aug 14 17:42:23 EDT 2024)

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