Mockingbird: Chapters 14–26

by Kathryn Erskine
When her older brother Devon dies, fifth-grader Caitlin Smith has trouble connecting to her life in Virginia without her closest guide.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–13, Chapters 14–26, Chapters 27–39
25 words 635 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    What we're working on Caitlin is empathy.
    Is that like emotion?
    Sort of.
    No thank you. I'm not good with emotion.
    All you need to do is imagine how other people are feeling.
  2. attitude
    a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings
    Oh? What emotion are you feeling right now?
    Kind of annoyed. And bored.
    She is quiet for a moment. That’s more of an attitude than an emotion. Underneath the attitude how are you feeling?
  3. refinement
    the result of improving something
    But you did it! All we’re doing now is working on refinement. You just have to keep trying. It’s all about finesse.
  4. tactfully
    in a considerate, careful, and appropriate manner
    Doing something tactfully and skillfully while dealing with a difficult situation.
  5. finesse
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    I’m about to tell him that seven is still a baby but then I remember about finesse so all I say is, I’ll be eleven next month.
  6. varnish
    a coating that provides a hard, lustrous finish to a surface
    Drill
    Bar clamps or pipe clamps
    Woodworker’s glue
    Sander
    Wood screws
    Hinges
    Tack cloth
    Wipe-on polyurethane varnish
    Protective eyeglasses and ear protection
  7. carnivorous
    relating to flesh-eating animals
    The third one felt like carnivorous dinosaur skin and I would be eaten alive.
  8. flinch
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    I feel a cold hand on my arm and I flinch.
  9. self-conscious
    excessively aware of your appearance or behavior
    They say that Rachel will be self-conscious and embarrassed and it’s all my fault.
  10. terrarium
    transparent container in which plants and animals are kept
    I pull her desk out of the row and push it all the way to the back corner of the room and shove it up against the wall where the terrarium was until the turtle died.
  11. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    Emma says how mean I’m being and Mrs. Johnson gives me her pinched lip stern look and says, What’s this all about?
  12. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    My feet feel cold and clammy because my socks are sweaty.
  13. auction
    the public sale of something to the highest bidder
    I think there’s a silent auction and a raffle and I’m not sure what else.
  14. smother
    deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
    I think I will choke. I grab Dad’s hand. It’s big and hairy and sweaty but I Deal With It because otherwise I think I will be smothered.
  15. evaporate
    change into gas or steam
    Also snow can be pink if red dirt dissolves in water that evaporates and—
  16. easel
    an upright tripod for displaying something
    We follow Coffee Breath Woman to an easel with a light on it and I stare at it.
  17. tuft
    a bunch or cluster of strands, as of grass, hair, etc.
    A man’s hand appears and adds tufts of sticky-outy hair to the giant head.
  18. texture
    the appearance of a surface having a tactile quality
    He takes a blue pencil and draws little colored dots and lines that make the eyes look deep and textured and full.
  19. crease
    a slight indentation in the smoothness of a surface
    I do notice some curves and creases though so I put them in.
  20. pastel
    a drawing stick made of powdered pigment mixed with binders
    Feel free to use the colored pencils or pastels too, he says.
  21. slump
    assume a drooping posture or carriage
    Dad’s shoulders slump and his head falls.
  22. hinge
    a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing
    We need hinges for the chest.
  23. patient
    enduring trying circumstances with even temper
    She says I have to be patient and keep trying.
  24. eventually
    after an unspecified period of time or a long delay
    Sometimes things don’t work the first time but then eventually they do.
  25. confidence
    belief in yourself and your abilities
    I have confidence in you. You just have to keep trying.
Created on Sun Jan 26 14:59:23 EST 2014 (updated Tue Aug 01 14:17:11 EDT 2023)

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