The Unforgettable Logan Foster: List 1

by Shawn Peters
This first book of the series introduces a twelve-year-old orphan whose last name reminds him of all the unsuccessful placements with foster families, until he is chosen by a mysterious couple.

This list covers pages 1–58 in the 2022 HarperCollins edition.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
35 words 41 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. overwhelm
    overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
    There are probably thousands of things you should know about me. But for now, I will only list three of them since I don’t want to overwhelm you.
  2. ironic
    displaying incongruity between what is expected and what is
    I have never forgotten anywhere I’ve been or anyone I’ve met...except for you and our parents. People call that ironic, but I think it is more frustrating than anything else.
  3. deductive
    relating to reasoning from the general to the particular
    However, I am very good at research, deductive reasoning, and logical problem-solving, and I intend on getting even better at all of them.
  4. promenade
    a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk
    When I stepped into Cornwallz Comics, a brand-new shop in Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, I was already under attack.
  5. relentless
    never-ceasing
    I was actually ten minutes into a relentless barrage of instructions and warnings from Ms. Kondrat, the on-site supervisor at ESTO.
  6. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    I was actually ten minutes into a relentless barrage of instructions and warnings from Ms. Kondrat, the on-site supervisor at ESTO.
  7. prospective
    of or concerned with or related to the future
    Orphans call prospective parents PPs.
  8. indulge
    enjoy to excess
    I don’t really indulge in fantasies, unless you count fantasy novels, which I enjoy just as much as comic books, especially because it takes me longer to read them.
  9. autism
    a condition involving social and communication difficulties
    The file also contained several other diagnoses, including Developmental Coordination Disorder when I was five and Autism Spectrum Disorder when I was nine.
  10. fissure
    a long narrow opening
    Cracks riddled the pavement between where I was standing with Ms. Kondrat and the doorway where Gil and Margie were. Then the cracks turned into full-blown fissures.
  11. chasm
    a deep opening in the earth's surface
    And then it was a chasm. With the next ripple, the rip in the pavement was eight feet wide and lava started pouring out.
  12. elite
    selected as the best
    I did my best while explaining to Ms. Kondrat that I’ve read The Biomechanics of Elite Sprinters by Phil Cheetham and that I know how to run faster. I’m simply incapable of doing it.
  13. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    The sound of mini propane tanks exploding rang out every few seconds as dense, acrid smoke filled the air.
  14. anticipate
    regard something as probable or likely
    I fully anticipated the entire intersection would explode into a supersized grill and cook us like hot dogs.
  15. wispy
    thin and weak
    I leaned all my weight into my brake shoe as a few of the last wispy bits of sole flew into my face—but we slowed to a stop right over the gym mat.
  16. ideal
    conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection
    If you have a place where I can stay, that would be ideal, but I really can make almost any living situation work.
  17. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    Each time I was fostered, they gave my space to a new orphan. When I’d inevitably return a week or two later, I just took whatever bed was open.
  18. cataclysmic
    severely destructive
    In each case, the destruction was extreme but almost totally limited to a small area around where the epicenter was. Experts were very concerned. In several of the articles I read, Dr. Morris Williams of Caltech suggested “the trend might point toward some sort of pending cataclysmic tectonic event.”
  19. tectonic
    pertaining to the structure or movement of the earth's crust
    In each case, the destruction was extreme but almost totally limited to a small area around where the epicenter was. Experts were very concerned. In several of the articles I read, Dr. Morris Williams of Caltech suggested “the trend might point toward some sort of pending cataclysmic tectonic event.”
  20. cameo
    a brief appearance by a well-known actor in a movie or play
    “He’s talking about Larfleeze,” I said, “aka Agent Orange who appeared in DC Universe number zero in a cameo but didn’t really get his own storyline until Green Lantern thirty-nine. He wields the power of the orange light of avarice.”
  21. avarice
    extreme greed for material wealth
    “He’s talking about Larfleeze,” I said, “aka Agent Orange who appeared in DC Universe number zero in a cameo but didn’t really get his own storyline until Green Lantern thirty-nine. He wields the power of the orange light of avarice.”
  22. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    The doctor prescribed rest and a mild sedative after our ordeal.
  23. adept
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
    I’ve told you that I’m not always good at telling when people are joking or how they’re feeling. But I’m pretty adept at telling when people are lying.
  24. cul de sac
    a street with only one way in or out
    That was Gil as he turned their rented Honda minivan into a driveway only two houses down from the cul-de-sac at the end of Kittyhawk Circle in Westchester, only a few miles away from ESTO.
  25. dampen
    lessen in force or effect
    The glass is triple paned. It really does dampen much of the sonic energy from the jets while also providing excellent insulation from the wind they generate.
  26. plunder
    steal goods; take as spoils
    Most of the racks on the walls were covered with big toolboxes and equipment containers too. It did not look like a place where internet identity thieves would come to loot and plunder.
  27. acclimate
    get used to a certain environment
    When Gil was done showing me the garage, Margie took me to my room and left me to “get acclimated.”
  28. bureau
    furniture with drawers for keeping clothes
    She left me alone anyway and I put my clothes away. Of course, they only filled one of the drawers in the bureau.
  29. credenza
    a flat-topped piece of furniture for storage
    I didn’t think Gil and Margie had a kid, but they only just moved in a few weeks ago so maybe I missed you arriving. You’re not very big. With all that new furniture they bought, you could’ve been hiding in the credenza.
  30. encyclopedic
    broad in scope or content
    That’s when it hit me: I was going to be the underage, encyclopedic-minded foster son of a strict substitute math teacher starting at a new school almost a month into the semester.
  31. drawl
    a slow speech pattern with prolonged vowels
    She agreed that the viral footage of an orange tabby saying “Well, hi!” with a southern drawl is top notch.
  32. jeer
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “Look who’s got a new pocket-size boyfriend!”
    “Yeah, it’s Arguello the Giant!”
    I looked down the sidewalk for the source of the jeering voices and saw a group of seven teenage boys, all wearing matching colors, walking up.
  33. clutch
    a collection of things or persons to be handled together
    “Logan, these boys”—and she gestured to the clutch of teens who were now puffing up their chests—“are posers. They aren’t even tough. They’re a wannabe esports team...with no sponsor.”
  34. swag
    products that are free (usually for promotional purposes)
    “That’s where you’re wrong, Arguello!” Saul protested, showing off his new hat. “My man, J-Hott, got his dad’s company to front us for all this new swag!”
  35. rhetorical question
    an inquiry that is not supposed to be answered
    “Anyone else feeling tough today?”
    This was not a rhetorical question. I think she really wanted to know if any of the Hott Salsa Boys wanted to fight her.
Created on Wed Jun 07 11:22:39 EDT 2023 (updated Thu Aug 17 13:52:51 EDT 2023)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.