Clairboyance: Chapters 6–12

by Kristiana Kahakauwila
At home, Clara, a middle-schooler in O'ahu, Hawai'i, is torn between moving to Arizona with her Dad and leaving her beloved grandmother and homeland. Then she receives the “gift” of hearing what boys are thinking, which adds further stress to her life by complicating her already tenuous middle school friendships.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–12, Chapters 13–17, Chapters 18–23, Chapters 24–32
15 words 22 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. barometer
    an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
    Tūtū is like a barometer. She feels weather shifts in her body.
  2. fiancee
    a woman who is engaged to be married
    “Your dad must miss Hawai‘i a lot.”
    I shrug. “I don’t know. When he was with my mom, he did. But with Steph — that’s his fiancée — he seems pretty happy on the mainland.”
  3. crestfallen
    brought low in spirit
    By the time Denny reaches our row, he’s crestfallen. Sure, he can be annoying, but I’d want someone to say something if I was wearing those shoes.
  4. hallucinate
    have illusions; perceive what is not actually there
    Whatever was going on in the bus is gone now. Maybe I was hallucinating. Or maybe the boys were talking more than usual. Because there’s no way I was actually hearing their thoughts.
  5. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
    By the time we reach the hallway, the whispers have turned into a full-on cacophony.
  6. onslaught
    a rapid and continuous outpouring
    I’ve got to pull it together. “I’m overwhelmed by all the talking.” I bare my teeth against the onslaught of noise.
  7. distracted
    having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety
    “It’s not hypothetical!” I want Pua to understand. This isn’t pretend to me. “It’s real. And it just started today! It’s why I had that headache on the bus. Why I acted so distracted. I can’t turn it off. All of a sudden, boys’ voices, their thoughts, are everywhere.”
  8. tolerable
    capable of being borne or endured
    “I’m being totally serious. I can hear what boys are thinking.” I clap my hands over my ears and squeeze shut my eyes. If I have to have this power, then at least I could use it to make my life a little more tolerable.
  9. snarky
    rudely sarcastic and mocking in tone or manner
    I wait for Brandon to add something snarky, and when he doesn’t, I wonder if he has a gentler side, like Denny.
  10. incredulously
    in a disbelieving manner
    “That’s what this is about?” Kumu Whitman asks incredulously. “What kind of friends fight over shoes?”
  11. churn
    be agitated
    THE WHOLE REST OF THE school day and the bus ride home, my thoughts churn. What if my mind reading could get me to Arizona sooner? What if I can help Dad see that summer is too long of a wait? That moving me sooner would be good for him and me?
  12. whorl
    a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles
    The drawing’s not large — about half a sheet of notebook paper — but every inch is covered in pale green whorls and squiggles.
  13. expanse
    a wide and open space or area, as of land, sea, or sky
    Mom puts her head on his shoulder and points to the expanse of sky in front of them. “Out there,” she says. “That’s where all the adventure lives.” Dad takes her hand.
  14. gibberish
    unintelligible talking
    Tūtū stares down at her phone as if it’s an alien speaking in gibberish.
  15. flighty
    guided by whim and fancy
    “Clarence Koalani.” Tūtū enunciates each syllable of my dad’s name. “You not some happy-go-lucky kid anymore. You one grown man. You a father. No can be flighty, go off anywhere you like. You need for provide Clara with stability.”
Created on Fri Jul 25 20:11:13 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Aug 12 17:54:56 EDT 2025)

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