South of Somewhere: List 1: Astor Street–Horror Scopes

by Kalena Miller
Twelve-year-old Mavis Callahan, her father, and her siblings must adjust to life in the small town of Somewhere, Illinois, after her mother goes on the run following an embezzlement charge.

Here are links to our lists for the book:
List 1: Astor Street–Horror Scopes
List 2: Embezzlement–Door to Door
List 3: Triple Trouble–The Third of July
List 4: The Interrogation–The Marching Band
List 5: Basement Meeting–One Month Later
15 words 32 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. suppress
    control and refrain from showing
    Andre groans again while I suppress a smile.
  2. curt
    speaking in a terse, rude, or abrupt way
    Her tone is curt, and there’s an intensity in her eyes that wasn’t there moments ago.
  3. crane
    stretch, so as to see better
    I crane my neck to see a taxi pull onto Astor Street.
  4. lament
    regret strongly
    Even Dad, who rarely has anything negative to say, laments the lack of culture in the suburbs.
  5. haphazardly
    without care; in a slapdash manner
    He turns into an abandoned parking lot and stops the car haphazardly between two spaces.
  6. prohibit
    command against
    I’m just hoping there’s an amendment somewhere in the Constitution that prohibits the FBI from stealing my collection of hardcover fantasy novels.
  7. elephant in the room
    an obvious, important issue that no one wants to address
    “Are we going to talk about it?” I ask, summoning the courage to address the elephant in the room.
  8. predicament
    an unpleasant or difficult situation
    “Getting to Arizona may be difficult given our current predicament,” Dad says.
  9. omission
    leaving out or passing over something
    Dad calls it a lie of omission when you hide part of the truth.
  10. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    Dad’s cheeks flush, and I step aside to give him space.
  11. stagger
    astound or overwhelm, as with shock
    At this memory, another flood of homesickness staggers me.
  12. befuddled
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    Dad looks befuddled by my random offer.
  13. jumble
    a confused multitude of things
    I guess I’m not totally alone, though I doubt my little cousin can solve the jumble of fears clogging up my brain.
  14. embezzlement
    the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property
    “Federal authorities are looking for this woman. Her name is Julie Callahan, and she’s a local businesswoman here in Chicago. She’s accused of embezzlement, Mariah. Can you believe that?”
  15. giddy
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    Mom curled my hair to match her own, and I was giddy all night because people kept calling me Mini-Mom.
Created on Tue Nov 04 03:23:30 EST 2025 (updated Tue Dec 23 13:09:45 EST 2025)

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