A Pinch of Magic: Chapters 4–9

by Michelle Harrison
In this first book of the series, thirteen-year-old Betty Widdershin, with her sisters Felicity and Charlotte, must figure out how to use their inherited magical objects to reverse an ancient family curse that does not allow them to leave the island of Crowstone.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–21, Chapter 22–Epilogue
40 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “The only sticky spots around here are when Fliss hasn’t washed the dishes properly.”
    “Hey!” said Fliss indignantly.
  2. disgruntled
    in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
    Charlie was becoming frustrated with the tooth fairy’s apparent lack of effort, and had even taken to leaving disgruntled notes to illustrate her feelings.
  3. huffy
    roused to anger
    Charlie looked up, suddenly less huffy.
  4. bout
    a period of indeterminate length marked by some condition
    “So all this time,” said Betty, who had been thinking during Charlie’s little bout of bartering, “only the bag has had an owner? What about the mirror and the dolls? How long have they been waiting for another Widdershins girl?”
  5. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    “She was warned, same as all the women before her, not to use them flippantly. And she didn’t like them—not knowing where they came from or how we got them.”
  6. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    “All this magic,” Betty said wistfully, “and you’re telling us we shouldn’t use it?”
  7. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    She searched Granny’s face, waiting for more horrible revelations and imagining tales of freak accidents.
  8. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    Fliss’s ashen face wasn’t helping with the image of a freezing, dying Clarissa haunting Betty’s thoughts.
  9. shrewd
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    Her shrewd old eyes were haunted.
  10. ruddy
    of the color between orange and purple in the color spectrum
    Granny rubbed her ruddy nose.
  11. lout
    an awkward, foolish person
    “They’re thumping on the bar, the louts!” Granny said, outraged.
  12. haggle
    wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement
    It had all begun when her father had been haggling down at the harbor one morning.
  13. arid
    lacking sufficient water or rainfall
    Her name was Roma, and she had smooth brown skin and braided hair, as well as a thousand memories of clear turquoise waters, arid deserts, and snowcapped mountains.
  14. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    Later, as Roma helped pack up the maps, Betty had begged until her father had relented and bought her one: her very first map.
  15. knickknack
    a small, inexpensive decorative object
    Granny had often amused them with its family keepsakes and knickknacks, such as the girls’ cards and drawings, a couple of old photographs, and a pair of baby shoes that all three of them had worn.
  16. sheaf
    a package of several things tied together
    There was also a sheaf of papers Granny had always whipped away “in case something got mislaid,” but tonight, that was exactly what Betty was looking for.
  17. emblem
    special design representing a quality, type, or group
    Betty could recall the Crowstone emblem perfectly: an ornate etching of the prison tower surrounded by a flock of crows. This emblem was unfamiliar: a heavy padlock entwined with what appeared to be writhing eels.
  18. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    The scene was so reassuringly familiar that Betty fleetingly wondered if she had dreamed the events of the previous evening, and there was no curse or magical family heirlooms...but then she saw that Fliss’s smile was tight and heard the tapping of Charlie’s spoon on her dish, which was more of a nervous tremble than a merry jingle.
  19. repent
    turn away from sin or do penitence
    Granny only went to church to stay on the right side of her customers. Given what a sinful place Crowstone was, everyone on the outside of the prison was eager to prove how law-abiding and repenting they were.
  20. fancy
    a predisposition to like something
    At times her attention wandered, however, only to be caught by whichever lad was the latest to take her fancy.
  21. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “I wonder if that means we don’t have to go to Sunday school, then?” Fliss mused.
  22. dampen
    lessen in force or effect
    Betty’s stomach rumbled, but as they neared the marshes, briny air dampened her hunger.
  23. undercurrent
    a feeling or tendency that is not explicitly expressed
    Yesterday, crossing Crowstone’s boundaries had simply been an adventure. Today she knew it was something that would kill them. Yet, Betty couldn’t deny an undercurrent of excitement.
  24. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
    They arrived at the ferry point shortly before the boat docked at the platform, the only passengers aside from a wizened old woman.
  25. stagnate
    exist in a changeless situation
    How much more of the world had she seen, while Betty had been stagnating here?
  26. appeal
    challenge, as a decision
    “What if Granny’s just been coming here to appeal? To get Father moved back?”
  27. fritter
    spend frivolously and unwisely
    After their mother had died, Barney Widdershins had drunk and gambled, spiraling out of control. By the time any of them knew how much money he had frittered away, the Poacher’s Pocket was deep in debt.
  28. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    Betty stiffened, aware that the sentry was watching them—Fliss in particular—with interest.
  29. preen
    clean with one's bill
    “Names?” the sentry asked, smoothing his uniform like a bird preening its feathers.
  30. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
    She blew into her hands and gave the sentry a beseeching look, and like his boots had been buttered, he slid back and ushered them through.
  31. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    Through this lay a large room with wooden benches and a line of somber people waiting to sign the visitors’ book.
  32. bluster
    act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
    “The indignity of it,” Fliss blustered, rearranging her hair.
  33. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Fliss pulled her shawl over her nose and mouth, squeaking as a furry shape scuttled past their feet.
  34. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    Fliss glared, her cheeks flushing pink.
  35. legacy
    anything handed down by someone or something in the past
    And if he knew something of value, it could be the start Betty needed to change her family’s terrible legacy.
  36. tantalizing
    arousing desire or expectation for something unattainable
    After the shock of having her dreams shattered only hours ago, the possibility of her freedom now felt tantalizingly close.
  37. desolate
    having few or no inhabitants
    The thought of the graveyard isle filled her with a creeping dread. It was a mournful, desolate place, perfect for someone trying to escape.
  38. foreboding
    ominously prophetic
    Betty stared up at the foreboding tower. Lost Widdershins lives, she thought, searching its walls for missing stones.
  39. shingle
    coarse beach gravel of small waterworn stones and pebbles
    The boat was waiting by the jetty, and people were boarding. Betty and Fliss joined the end of the line, feet sinking into the damp shingle.
  40. malice
    the desire to see others suffer
    Malice, injustice, betrayal. Were those the perfect ingredients for a curse?
Created on Wed Sep 21 15:49:01 EDT 2022 (updated Mon Jul 31 16:17:53 EDT 2023)

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