And Then, Boom!: List 4

by Lisa Fipps
In this novel in verse, preteen Joe Oak is abandoned by his mother and loses his beloved grandmother, but kindness from friends, family, and strangers helps him get back on his feet again.

This list covers vocabulary from "No Reply"–"Going, Going, Gone."
Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6
25 words 15 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. numb
    lacking sensation
    When I turn on the shower,
    the cold water shocks me,
    takes my breath away,
    and leaves me numb.
  2. sprout
    produce buds or branches; germinate
    The seeds in Grandmum’s milk jugs have sprouted,
    so Hakeem and Nick help me plant the garden.
  3. ease
    move gently or carefully
    It takes all day to dig holes,
    ease each plant into the soil,
    pack the dirt loosely around it,
    then give each plant some water,
    just like the books I found at the library said to do.
  4. nudge
    push against gently
    The dog tries to use its nose
    to nudge the flaps open, and
    while the dog’s distracted,
    the guy gets in his car.
  5. whimper
    cry weakly or softly
    Two teeny-tiny puppies,
    tricolored like the mama.
    One whimpers.
  6. fend
    try to manage without help
    Left all alone
    to fend for themselves.
  7. tilt
    incline or bend from a vertical position
    You’re a lucky dog today,
    finding someone who’ll take you in,
    I say to the mama,
    who tilts her head as she listens.
  8. champ
    someone who has won first place in a competition
    I can fish with the ten-time champ?
  9. barter
    exchange goods without involving money
    The joy of bartering!
  10. pantry
    a small storeroom for storing food or beverages
    It has a pet pantry for when money’s tight and
    you can’t afford to feed your animals.
  11. mend
    restore by putting together what is torn or broken
    I don’t know how to sew
    so I use duct tape to mend the hole.
  12. cackle
    emit a loud, unpleasant kind of laughing
    Everyone laughs but my friends,
    like a room full of Jokers cackling.
  13. sliver
    a thin fragment or slice that has been shaved from something
    Not a sliver of silver duct tape anywhere.
  14. humiliate
    cause to feel shame
    Kids get humiliated for needing free lunches.
  15. provide
    give what is desired or needed, as support or sustenance
    Kids don’t have enough to eat.
    And then,
    BOOM!
    She provides more food options.
  16. regret
    feel sorry for; be contrite about
    Regretted it as soon as I said it.
  17. skin and bones
    a person who is unusually thin and scrawny
    You’re skin and bones!
    Nick says.
  18. derail
    run off or leave the tracks
    Annnnnnnd the train derails,
    Hakeem says.
  19. budge
    move very slightly
    And she won’t budge,
    no matter how much I beg her to get up,
    to take a shower,
    or to do something—anything.
  20. vow
    promise
    Vowed then and there,
    never again will anyone cut my hair.
  21. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Wait! Back it up a minute.
    The first home?
    Hakeem asks, furrowing his brows.
  22. snob
    a person regarded as arrogant and annoying
    La snob,
    Nick says.
  23. drench
    cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
    He and I wrestle the hose away from Hakeem
    and drench him.
  24. rummage
    a jumble of things to be given away
    Citywide Rummage Sale This Weekend!
    Clean out your closets and
    make some cold, hard cash!
  25. disconnect
    pull the plug of and render inoperable
    We’re sorry,
    you have reached a number
    that has been disconnected
    or is no longer in service.
Created on Thu May 08 03:41:44 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 10 11:43:57 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.