Wishtree: Chapters 31–42

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. attire
    clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
    She had a deep laugh, and her hair was as brilliantly red as my finest autumn attire.
  2. remedy
    a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieves pain
    Maeve soon discovered she was gifted at caring for the sick. She had no special knowledge. No secret remedies.
  3. soothe
    cause to feel better
    But she was kind and patient, and she knew how to soothe a fevered brow with a cool cloth as well as anyone.
  4. whittle
    cut small bits or pare shavings from
    When she succeeded, and even when she didn’t, patients and their families would leave small tokens for her: a whittled figurine of a bird, a hairpin, half a loaf of bread.
  5. tend
    have care of or look after
    When Maeve was out tending to someone who was sick, people took to leaving their thank-yous in my lowest hollow.
  6. gratitude
    a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
    But because it faced the house where Maeve roomed and not the street, it was a safe place to leave a token of gratitude.
  7. pliable
    capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking
    I grew tougher, my older limbs less pliable, my shadow longer.
  8. confidant
    someone to whom private matters are told
    My closest confidant was a young gray squirrel named Squibbles.
  9. suitor
    a man who courts a woman
    Along the way, Maeve had seen a suitor or two, but nothing much came of those flirtations.
  10. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    At night, she’d gaze out an open upstairs window, and her sighs would float to us on the breeze, melancholy as the call of a mourning dove.
  11. mourning
    sorrowful through loss or deprivation
    At night, she’d gaze out an open upstairs window, and her sighs would float to us on the breeze, melancholy as the call of a mourning dove.
  12. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    To them, Maeve would simply say, in her lilting voice, “That’s my raggy tree. She’s not a hawthorn, but she’ll do just fine.”
  13. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    Now and then, people would ask Maeve what she’d wished for. She’d tell them the truth, with a sigh and a wry smile: “Nothing much. Just someone to love with all my heart. Nothing much at all.”
  14. enterprising
    marked by initiative and readiness to undertake new projects
    Wishes, according to Maeve, could not be touched until after May Day. Then, the ones that weren’t carried off in the wind or dragged to the ground by the rain could be removed by people—or by enterprising squirrels.
  15. unfettered
    not bound or restrained, as by shackles and chains
    I suspect she made up that rule for my benefit, so I could grow unfettered, without the weight of wet rags dragging me down.
  16. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    She had dark, wavy hair and wore a tattered gray coat.
  17. meek
    evidencing little spirit or courage
    And then came the cry.
    Wail, was more like it.
    Coming from...me.
    Not the meek peep of a wren chick. Not the shy squeak of a mouse pup.
  18. righteous
    morally justified
    No: This was a cry of righteous indignation.
  19. indignation
    a feeling of righteous anger
    No: This was a cry of righteous indignation.
  20. halting
    proceeding in a fragmentary, hesitant, or ineffective way
    The baby had a note attached to her blanket. Haltingly, Maeve tried to read it out loud. “Italian,” she murmured.
  21. consult
    get or ask advice from
    Only later, when she consulted one of her patients, did she understand its meaning:
    Please give her the care I cannot.
  22. scarce
    deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
    On dark nights when hope was scarce, she would sing an old Irish tune, mixed with a newer, Italian song that she had learned from a neighbor.
  23. prosper
    make steady progress
    The family grew and prospered and argued and failed and loved and laughed.
  24. quizzical
    perplexed
    “Thanks?” he said in a quizzical voice, using the same tone he might have used if Bongo had just made him pancakes.
  25. ensconce
    fix firmly
    After the shocked babies and their equally shocked parents were safely ensconced in their dens, I admitted my feelings to Bongo.
  26. sleek
    having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light
    She stroked my rough bark with her sleek head.
  27. saturated
    unable to dissolve still more of a substance
    Oddly, the ground felt saturated. Spring was always muddy, of course, but this was unusual.
  28. scamper
    run or move about quickly or lightly
    BigYou gave a satisfied burp, and the animals scampered back to their homes.
  29. slight
    small in quantity or degree
    Stephen nodded ever so slightly, his eyes locked on me.
  30. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Samar jutted her chin at me.
  31. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I didn't have much time to mull over my mistake.
  32. premises
    land and the buildings on it
    “Every year, the opossums and owls and such vacate the premises on Wishing Day. Strangest thing. It’s like they know what’s coming.”
  33. sympathetic
    expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
    Max and Sandy looked at me sympathetically.
  34. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    “Well, we’re going to swing by tomorrow, keep an eye on things. No lead on the person who carved that word. But with the eggs, and people just generally riled, and the cut-down...”
  35. menacing
    threatening evil or danger
    She spread her wings menacingly and let out her most ferocious caw.
Created on Mon Jun 25 12:16:12 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Sep 06 14:52:10 EDT 2018)

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