Where Only Storms Grow: Chapters 3–8

by Alyssa Colman
The Stanton twins, Howe and Joanna, live in the Oklahoma panhandle during the devastating 1930s Dust Bowl event. In the midst of unprecedented and unrelenting dust storms, Joanna and Howe must work together to save their family farm and the whole community.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–8, Chapters 9–12, Chapters 13–30, Chapters 31–46
15 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. collateral
    a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
    “It turns out that Uncle Hank and Aunt Rosalee took out several bank loans to buy that land and fancy new equipment. They put their house down as collateral—”
  2. rafter
    one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
    “Are you ready to fly away or do you want to rest some more?”
    As if in answer, he spread his wings and took off. Instead of going out the open door, he fluttered up into the rafters. There, he perched under the roof and sang a few notes.
  3. eavesdrop
    listen without the speaker's knowledge
    The ladder to the top bunk creaked. Grace rolled over and snored as a crack of light appeared at the door, framing Howe’s ever-broadening shoulders. How dare he eavesdrop when he’d chastised me?
  4. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    The ladder to the top bunk creaked. Grace rolled over and snored as a crack of light appeared at the door, framing Howe’s ever-broadening shoulders. How dare he eavesdrop when he’d chastised me?
  5. comprehend
    get the meaning of something
    "...Farms all the way up to the Dakotas and down to Texas are suffering from the drought. A hundred million square acres, dry and ready to blow away.”
    My brain could barely comprehend the sheer magnitude of the problem.
  6. magnitude
    the property of relative size or extent
    "...Farms all the way up to the Dakotas and down to Texas are suffering from the drought. A hundred million square acres, dry and ready to blow away.”
    My brain could barely comprehend the sheer magnitude of the problem.
  7. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    My brother and cousin staggered in right before the full brunt of the storm hit the house like a slap.
  8. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    Then there was a lot of hugging and tears, mostly from the women and the girls. The menfolk tried to be stoic.
  9. abstract
    existing only in the mind
    On a clear day like this, I could see across the flat land for miles and miles. Infinity was never an abstract concept on the Great Plains.
  10. percolate
    permeate or penetrate gradually
    The words percolated through our parched brains.
  11. ruefully
    in a manner expressing pain or sorrow
    A question formed in my mind. “If the school does close—how long would it be?”
    She shook her head ruefully. “Likely for the rest of the year. At that point you’ll be moving on to high school, I suppose.”
  12. slog
    work doggedly or persistently
    Words and rhythms followed me as I slogged through the daily maintenance that it took to keep the tractor, machinery implements, windmill, and other equipment running.
  13. doozy
    someone or something excellent of its kind
    I hauled myself out of bed. Grayish-brown dirt made a clear outline of where my head had been on the pillow. I plodded down the hall, still half asleep. That storm had been a doozy. There were ripples on the floor.
  14. emit
    express audibly; utter sounds
    He emitted a low whistle of dismay. I followed his gaze up to our next project: there was a large, jagged hole in one of the barn doors. Not one of the ones near the ground, of course. It was way up on the hay door we used when hauling bales into the loft.
  15. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    He emitted a low whistle of dismay. I followed his gaze up to our next project: there was a large, jagged hole in one of the barn doors. Not one of the ones near the ground, of course. It was way up on the hay door we used when hauling bales into the loft.
Created on Sat Mar 07 19:47:27 EST 2026 (updated Tue Apr 21 12:23:43 EDT 2026)

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