Wishtree: Chapters 19–30

by Katherine Applegate
The narrator of this novel is Red, an oak tree on which people hang their wishes every year. When Samar, a new girl in the neighborhood, faces bullying and intolerance, Red attempts to rally the local animals and intervene.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–9, Chapters 10–18, Chapters 19–30, Chapters 31–42, Chapters 43–51

Here are links to our lists for other works by Katherine Applegate: Home of the Brave, Crenshaw, The One and Only Ivan
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. notorious
    known widely and usually unfavorably
    (Raccoon mothers are notoriously forgetful, so they don’t bother with traditional names.)
  2. rustle
    make a dry crackling sound
    Together they sat in the shimmer of moonlight and listened to my leaves rustle.
  3. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    In the sweet calm, surrounded by everything I loved—moonlight, air, grass, animals, earth, people—I wondered, with a pang, how much longer I would be able to savor such moments.
  4. savor
    derive or receive pleasure from
    In the sweet calm, surrounded by everything I loved—moonlight, air, grass, animals, earth, people—I wondered, with a pang, how much longer I would be able to savor such moments.
  5. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    But impending death has a way of focusing your attention.
  6. passive
    lacking in energy or will
    And yet, just once, before I said good-bye to the world, what would it be like to be something other than passive? To be an actor in the stories unfolding around me? Maybe even to make things a little bit better?
  7. thoroughly
    completely and absolutely
    “Okay I’m thoroughly awake now, thank you very much. What’s this all about?”
  8. astonishing
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
    Their heads whip from side to side, as if they’ve just heard astonishing news.
  9. tenant
    any occupant who dwells in a place
    “Well, to begin with, you’re my home. And I’m your tenant.”
  10. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    "Bongo," I said early that morning as the last stars faded like weary fireflies, “there’s something I need you to do.”
  11. imply
    express or state indirectly
    “You promised you’d let me sleep in.”
    “I didn’t promise.”
    “You implied.”
  12. rouse
    cause to become awake or conscious
    This roused Bongo. She fluttered down to her favorite branch, the one she’d nicknamed Home Plate.
  13. inquisitive
    showing curiosity
    “They’re too...inquisitive,” said FreshBakedBread. “Always poking their noses where they shouldn’t be. Grabbing things with those little paws of theirs.”
  14. beholder
    a person who becomes aware through the senses
    “Stink is in the nose of the beholder,” said HairySpiders. “And while I personally think your children have a delightful odor, Fresh, I’ve already got dibs on the woodpile two doors down. Should anything happen to dear Red.”
  15. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
    “Well, they are a bit boisterous,” said HairySpiders.
  16. adaptation
    the process of adjusting or conforming to new conditions
    “Playing possum is a useful adaptation,” said HairySpiders, her pink nose twitching.
  17. vacate
    leave behind empty; move out of
    There’s a nice-looking linden tree two blocks away, just vacated by a gray squirrel family.
  18. confirm
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
    “Too much Wise Old Tree?” I asked.
    “Too much Wise Old Tree,” Bongo confirmed, as everyone retreated into their homes in a huff.
  19. execute
    put in effect
    We executed Plan Number One an hour and a half later, when Stephen headed off to school.
  20. stalk
    walk stiffly
    Stephen stalked around the bottom of my trunk, where the yellow police tape encircled me.
  21. plead
    appeal or request earnestly
    “Please, crow,” he pleaded.
  22. mangle
    destroy or injure severely
    But this time Bongo surprised Samar by landing on her shoulder and presenting her with a mangled piece of paper.
  23. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    “I’m not even a member of your species.”
    “Well, that doesn’t really matter,” I chided.
  24. glaze
    become glassy or take on a glass-like appearance
    His half-open eyes were glazed and unseeing.
  25. rabid
    infected by an acute viral disease of the nervous system
    “It might be rabid. Or it could just be playing dead. I read that opossums will do that.”
  26. promptly
    with little or no delay
    To my disappointment, Stephen and Samar nodded at each other and promptly went into their separate houses.
  27. sneer
    express through a scornful smile
    “Charm,” Bongo sneered. “Did you know that’s what people call a bunch of hummingbirds?”
  28. grove
    a small growth of trees without underbrush
    “A murder! A murder of crows! Can you believe it? A bunch of trees, you’re a grove. A bunch of raccoons? A gaze.”
  29. clench
    squeeze together tightly
    “Almost...got...it,” Bongo muttered between her clenched beak.
  30. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    Her eyes glinted in the moonlight.
  31. ease
    move gently or carefully
    When Stephen eased out the front door, he was wearing red pajamas and a gray sweatshirt.
  32. bleary
    tired to the point of exhaustion
    His light brown hair was mussed, his eyes bleary.
  33. romp
    play boisterously
    The babies, sensing Stephen could be trusted, began to tussle and romp.
  34. gape
    look with amazement
    The animals gaped at me in astonishment.
  35. comply
    act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes
    “Pinch me,” Stephen said.
    Samar complied.
Created on Sat Jun 23 17:31:57 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Sep 06 14:51:59 EDT 2018)

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