Keeping Pace: Chapters 20–26

by Laurie Morrison
In this novel, eighth grader Gracie gets beat by her former friend and rival at an important goal, and she decides to spend the summer after her middle school graduation training for a half-marathon to get back at him.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-7, Chapters 8-13, Chapters 14-19, Chapters 20-26, Chapters 27-34
15 words 25 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. opt
    select as an alternative over another
    “Well, not canceled, but the coach made it optional. And I opted out to finish this.”
  2. mentor
    serve as a teacher or trusted counselor
    She shared some of them with her friends and family, and she sent a whole bunch to a writer named Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who mentored her.
  3. linger
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    He lingers a few feet away from me until Quinn screams, “Jonah! Free swim is over in forty-five minutes!”
  4. impromptu
    with little or no preparation or forethought
    Teddy and I took an impromptu day trip to the beach, so you’re off the hook for babysitting this afternoon.
  5. cliche
    an unoriginal or predictable theme, situation, or person
    “And there are some cliches here and there...”
  6. potential
    the inherent capacity for coming into being
    “But it’s full of potential. You’ve got everything you need for an outstanding personal essay right here.”
  7. lull
    calm by deception
    “I’m just making sure you don’t lull me into a false sense of security and then say ‘race ya’ and take off.
  8. outpace
    surpass, especially in speed
    I can tell that Jonah would be able to pull ahead if he wanted to, which means I’ll have to gradually outpace him at the half-marathon and stay strong enough to ward off his attempt to pass me at the end.
  9. vary
    make something more diverse
    “That’s a lot of wows. Ms. Pan from seventh-grade English would tell you to vary your word choice.”
  10. preeminent
    greatest in importance, degree, or significance
    “You can’t think of one thing you’re looking forward to about Purnell? ‘The preeminent Center City day school’?”
  11. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    My shirt is weighed down with water, but there’s something about the incessant echo of “You. You. You” inside my head that gives me new energy.
  12. quirk
    twist or curve abruptly
    His mouth quirks into a smile, but it isn’t that sweet Old Jonah smile, and it isn’t the cockier, more guarded New Jonah smile, either.
  13. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    For a second, I see something sad and vulnerable in his eyes, and my heart opens.
  14. resolve
    bring to an end; settle conclusively
    I skim one article, feeling sick to my stomach as I read the words “overuse injury” and “could lead to a stress fracture” and “weeks or months to resolve.”
  15. intervene
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    Out in the yard, the two kids start arguing over the bubble wand, and their mom intervenes.
Created on Tue Dec 30 07:04:12 EST 2025 (updated Tue Feb 17 15:50:41 EST 2026)

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