And Then, Boom!: List 6

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 "My Story"–"Even Superheroes Need Help."
Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6
25 words 19 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. obstacle
    an obstruction that stands in the way
    I’m Monty, a photographer for the newspaper,
    he says
    as we weave around the obstacle course of puddles and debris
    the tornado created.
  2. interview
    the questioning of a person, often conducted by journalists
    Monty asks me question after question.
    I do my best to answer them
    until I’m lifted into the ambulance
    and the door shuts,
    ending the interview.
  3. admit
    declare to be true or accept the reality of
    I knew this moment would come.
    I knew the day Mom left.
    I just couldn’t admit it.
  4. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    I have welts from the hail,
    and a sprained ankle from
    jumping out the window.
  5. infection
    state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogens
    Food is delivered from the cafeteria,
    and a nurse starts an IV
    for fluids, vitamins, and an antibiotic,
    since they discovered my bad tooth was infected and
    the infection spread into my jaw.
  6. malnutrition
    a state of poor nourishment
    Outside my room,
    I hear workers use the words
    malnutrition,
    dehydration,
    and so sad.
  7. concentrate
    direct one's attention on something
    When you’re hungry, you feel tired all the time and can’t concentrate.
  8. official
    verified authoritatively
    It’s official.
    I’m in the system.
    I’m a foster kid.
  9. relief
    the condition of being comfortable or alleviated of distress
    I breathe a sigh of relief.
  10. rubble
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    We found it in the rubble around your place
    when we stopped there this morning.
  11. whereabouts
    the general location of someone or something
    If you have any information about her whereabouts,
    please call this number.
  12. bleat
    cry plaintively like a sheep or goat
    Hear him bleating?
    He likes you already.
  13. wicker
    flexible branches or twigs that can be woven together
    And I’m Mike, the guy says,
    helping me onto the wicker rocker.
  14. terra cotta
    clay fired for pottery and building material, or the finished object
    When I open my eyes,
    there’s a box with a terra-cotta pot
    filled with Grandmum’s pink rose of Sharon bush.
  15. bulldozer
    a powerful vehicle with a large blade that clears ground
    Uncle Frankie threatened to chain himself to the bulldozer
    if they didn’t let him save it for you
    before they cleared away the debris,
    Bashirah says.
  16. vanish
    become invisible or unnoticeable
    I watch as her car gets smaller and smaller
    until it vanishes.
  17. silo
    a cylindrical tower used for storing grain
    The two concrete ones with round roofs are silos.
  18. giggle
    laugh nervously
    The kids giggle.
    Mike tries not to.
  19. homestead
    the house and adjacent grounds occupied by a family
    The homestead’s forty acres,
    and we farm over three hundred.
  20. bashful
    self-consciously timid
    Go on, now. Eat up.
    Don’t be bashful.
  21. lopsided
    having one side lower or smaller or lighter than the other
    I doodle
    Mike’s office
    and a lopsided, handmade ceramic coffee cup on the desk
    with the words #1 Dad.
  22. transplant
    transfer from one place or period to another
    My window
    is right above Grandmum’s rose of Sharon bush
    Mike and Iris transplanted.
  23. fasten
    cause to be firmly attached
    He fastened a basketball backboard onto the barn door.
  24. hem
    the edge of a piece of cloth
    “I do okay,” he says,
    Mike teases me in a mocking tone
    as he uses the hem of his T-shirt
    to wipe all the sweat off his face.
  25. galore
    in great numbers
    The county fair.
    There’s nothing like it.
    Animals and exhibits.
    Games and prizes.
    Rides galore.
Created on Thu May 08 03:42:19 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 10 11:56:24 EDT 2025)

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