Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene: Chapters 1–6

by Emma Otheguy
Fifth-grader Sofía — the daughter of professional ballet dancers who represented Cuba around the world — is embarrassed that she cannot master the steps needed for her part in a small-town New York production of The Nutcracker.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–23, Chapters 24–37
35 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. earful
    an outpouring of gossip
    That’s because Laurita is only interested in two things: softball and protests. If you work with her at school, she’ll give you an earful about the polar ice caps melting or make you listen to her talk about batting statistics.
  2. sequin
    a small disk of shiny material used to decorate clothing
    We were going to make foam cutouts of every state and then decorate them with sequins and rhinestones so the gym would sparkle.
  3. casually
    not methodically or according to plan
    That’s part of how Manuel got to be so popular: all the third graders have to do is casually mention that Crispy Puffs are their new favorite treat, and my mom will load up on them.
  4. mantel
    a shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace
    They are equal trouble, though—they like to climb, jump, and flip, and they once broke all three of the porcelain ballerinas my mom kept on the mantel.
  5. punctual
    acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed
    “We just have to be done by seven-fifteen because that’s when I call my abuela.”
    Weirdly punctual, I think, but I say okay.
  6. threshold
    the entrance for passing through a room or building
    I open the door, and Davy jumps across the threshold.
  7. glare
    an angry stare
    I hold the door open for Eva, Jonah, and Manuel, who shoots me a glare as he walks inside.
  8. scoundrel
    someone who does evil deliberately
    “Don’t be a scoundrel and ignore your dad like Manuel.”
  9. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    My mom complains about how old the kitchen is, and how the squares of the linoleum floor keep popping up and getting filled with crud, but it’s my favorite room in the house (after the bedroom Regina and I share, of course).
  10. shabby
    showing signs of wear and tear
    “I was thinking maybe Mrs. Jansen would let me add some new lace trim to the Party Scene dresses; the costumes are getting a little shabby—”
  11. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    She’s a thousand times stricter than Mrs. Jansen and she gets exasperated every time I do even the teeniest step wrong.
  12. slump
    fall or sink heavily
    Regina slaps her hand to her forehead and slumps back down in bed.
  13. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
    She’s probably going to get a great part, even though she’s only thirteen. Regina’s a ballet prodigy.
  14. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    “And to show her how grateful you are, you’ll help your little sister practice?” my dad prompts.
  15. pantaloon
    trousers worn in former times
    The girls in Party Scene get to wear old-fashioned dresses with real petticoats and pantaloons, and the parent volunteers curl ribbons into their hair.
  16. cue
    a reminder for some action or speech
    On cue, my dad gets up and starts marching in place, singing the music.
  17. usher
    accompany or escort
    “You are so weird,” Regina complains, ushering me out into the bedroom.
  18. obsessive
    characterized by an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation
    My family is going to find out eventually—probably any second now, since Regina obsessively follows ABT dancers on Instagram—
  19. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    “Sí, claro,” my mom says, listening intently to Yolanda’s voice on the other end of the line, then filling us in.
  20. pirouette
    rapidly spin the body, usually as part of a dance
    It’s just a bunch of people dancing. There’s no villain, no happy ending, and no set. Why would anyone want to watch it? But try telling Regina that while she’s pirouetting around the kitchen, eyes closed.
  21. enlighten
    make understand
    I know that, but I nod like Tricia said something really enlightening.
  22. snooty
    overly conceited or arrogant
    It’s awkward to tell someone, “I already know basically everything about dance because I’m an Acosta.” It makes you sound snooty, even if you’re not.
  23. careen
    move at high speed and in an uncontrolled way
    I’m holding open the basement door when Manuel zooms into the kitchen and through the door.
    “Thanks!” he shouts back at me as he careens down the steps to the basement.
  24. rafter
    one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
    The basement is unfinished, with concrete floors and low wooden rafters in the ceiling.
  25. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    Tricia sidles up next to me.
  26. huffy
    roused to anger
    I jerk my thumb at the basement stairs.
    Huffily, Eva leads the way to the staircase.
  27. spruce
    make neat, smart, or trim
    I have a whole vision for sprucing up the Party Scene dresses at ballet, and I’ve been practicing by making mini versions of the dresses for my Barbies.
  28. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    I pry apart a little corner of one of the flowers with my fingernails so Tricia can see how I dropped tiny jewels of glitter glue into the centers.
  29. offhand
    in a casually inconsiderate manner
    “Yeah,” I say, trying to sound offhand. “No problem. Just tell me what you want and I’ll make them for you.”
  30. jeopardize
    put at risk
    In the summer, you can sit on the top of the boxes and swing your legs down. Regina says the kids who do that might fall and are jeopardizing their dance careers.
  31. alteration
    the act of making something different
    She’s usually in charge of measuring people for costumes, and she helps some of the other parents make the alterations and repairs that need to be done every year.
  32. flit
    move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
    Dewdrop is the lead in the Waltz of the Flowers, flitting between all the other dancers (the flowers), pretending to be a drop of morning dew.
  33. cavalier
    a gallant or courtly gentleman
    We always have five teenagers come from SAB to play five roles: Sugarplum, her cavalier, Snow Queen, her cavalier, and Dewdrop.
  34. intensive
    characterized by a heightened level or degree
    Apparently Mrs. Jansen told Regina she is showing “great promise”—which is not exactly news, I could have told you that—and that she wants her to audition for ABT’s very exclusive summer intensive program.
  35. testy
    easily irritated or annoyed
    Tricia cuts in testily. “It’s not like that anymore, Laura. Two of my grandparents were Cuban, and we’re members.”
Created on Mon Nov 20 13:50:53 EST 2023 (updated Mon Dec 18 11:15:10 EST 2023)

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