Invisible Inkling: List 1

by Emily Jenkins
This first book in the series introduces Hank Wolowitz, a fourth grader in New York, who has an invisible furry bandapat giving him advice on how to deal with a bully.

This list covers "Secret Stuff, for Serious"–"Theft of Cheesy Goodness."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 60 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stoop
    small porch or set of steps at the front entrance of a house
    Mom is sweeping the stoop.
  2. churn
    stir cream vigorously in order to make butter
    Dad has just finished churning a batch of his new fall flavor, white cherry white chocolate.
  3. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
    Mom said could Dad please not waste time and resources making my weird ice-cream ideas any more.
  4. clatter
    a rattling noise
    I stumble as I stand and knock over a stack of metal bowls on the counter. Bam! Caddacaddacadda—they crash around me with a clatter.
  5. cascade
    rush down in big quantities
    Pumpkin-colored sprinkles cascade down my legs and skid out across the floor.
  6. whir
    make a soft continuous sound, as of something in motion
    I can hear the espresso machine whirring outside.
  7. vegan
    a person who does not eat any animal products
    But I think he’s a vegan. He won’t want any milk.
  8. sorbet
    a frozen dessert usually made from fruit juice
    “Wainscotting always got plain chocolate,” I say. “Chin from downstairs gets strawberry with hot fudge. Mom, lemon sorbet.”
  9. hallucination
    illusory perception
    “That waffle cone was moving. And now it’s gone.”
    “You and your brain,” she says. “Do you know the definition of the word hallucination?”
  10. perception
    the process of becoming aware through the senses
    ‘Hallucination. An experience involving perception of something not present.’
  11. plague
    any large-scale calamity
    Weird stuff is happening that can’t be explained by the laws of nature, in which case our planet might be in store for a global meltdown full of crazy lava explosions and plagues of frogs.
  12. shift
    the time period during which you are at work
    To take my mind off it all, I help Nadia walk Rootbeer when her shift is over.
  13. supervise
    watch and direct
    “Are you gonna pay me?” I ask. “For doing your job?”
    I ask this every time she has me take the leash.
    “No,” she says, pulling out her phone. “Because I’m still here. Supervising.”
  14. skitter
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Rootbeer takes off down the block, dragging me behind her with the leash. She skitters, knocking over garbage cans, snapping her jaws.
  15. lunge
    make a thrusting forward movement
    “I’m trying,” I call—but then Rootbeer lunges for the door, knocking me over.
  16. unravel
    become undone
    I hit the sidewalk hard and feel the leash unraveling around my legs as the dog charges. I’ve lost my hold on her, and Rootbeer zooms into the building, barking and drooling.
  17. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    She grabs Rootbeer’s leash, but the dog pulls against her.
    “Treats!” coaxes Nadia, straining for the door of Mnookin’s apartment.
  18. stroke
    touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions
    Instinctively, I stroke the soft fur of the invisible thing.
  19. stumble
    walk unsteadily
    The invisible creature claws my neck in fear, and I stumble back against the wall.
  20. strain
    exert much effort or energy
    Nadia bends down and grabs Rootbeer around the middle like you would a bag of potatoes. The dog wiggles and strains, running her short legs in the air and growling.
  21. manage
    be successful; achieve a goal
    Nadia manages to get the door to Mnookin’s apartment open.
  22. slight
    small in quantity or degree
    There’s a slight dent where it’s sitting, but otherwise I can’t tell it’s even there.
  23. hoarse
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness
    “Alive!” it cries in a hoarse but energetic voice.
  24. debt
    an obligation to pay or do something
    “It was life or death with that rootbeer,” says Inkling. “I’m in your debt until I can return the favor. We bandapats have a code of honor.”
  25. predator
    any animal that lives by preying on other animals
    “We are extremely cute but naturally invisible, which helps our species survive in the fearsome woods among predators and other scary stuff.”
  26. squash
    edible fruit from plants of the gourd family
    “Bandapats eat squash,” Inkling explains. “We can eat almost anything, actually, but we need the squash because we need lots of vitamin A. What’s more, it’s really, really yummy.”
  27. zucchini
    dark-green, cucumber-shaped squash
    “We prefer pumpkin, but we like butternut, too. Or acorn. Most any kind that’s not zucchini,” says Inkling.
  28. harvest
    gather, as of natural products
    All the squash growing among the glaciers was harvested by humans to cook into pies and serve with turkey.
  29. issue
    one of a series published periodically
    You can’t imagine, Wolowitz, how far I traveled with that small bit of newspaper, that bit with the ad showing the pumpkin. Giving the address where I could find it. It was in an old issue of the New York Times food section that somebody threw out.
  30. destiny
    the circumstances or condition to which someone is fated
    Just luck that I read it, but as soon as I did, I felt like the pumpkin was calling me. I had a purpose. A destiny!
  31. policy
    a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group
    I promise, and tell him we also have to keep him secret because of Mom’s “no pets” policy.
  32. stout
    fairly large
    What does he look like?
    Fluffy.
    Stout.
    Soft ears, a large tail, and padded feet with hard little claws.
    That’s all I can tell, so far.
  33. advantage
    the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
    Bandapats nearly always win in combat. Invisibility gives us an advantage.
  34. resist
    withstand the force of something
    I can’t resist saying, “Except maybe with dogs, huh?”
  35. claim
    assert or affirm strongly
    “I’m fine with dogs,” Inkling claims, “but the rootbeer is another story. I have to steer clear of her.”
Created on Thu May 02 10:49:02 EDT 2024 (updated Thu May 02 14:13:59 EDT 2024)

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