A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation: List 2

by Pablo Cartaya
Gonzalo Alberto Sánchez García finds himself on a cross-country roadtrip with his estranged grandfather, an internationally acclaimed author of a children's fantasy series. Over the course of the 10-day trip, Gonzolo learns the truth behind his grandfather's famous tales and gains a better understanding of himself and his family.

This list covers vocabulary from "Language As a Superpower?"—"Filling the Tank."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
15 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    I spend the day reading about Gonzalo’s (the character’s) adventures. The way he refuses to go on the journey in the first place. The way he tries, in vain at first, to conjure his power.
  2. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to unusual activity or creativity
    I guess writers take inspiration from other writers as well.
  3. explicitly
    in a clearly expressed manner
    “Sir, Ms. Veronica explicitly said you were not to drive,” Luis says, sounding like he’s trying not to upset my grandfather.
  4. waft
    blow gently
    The air from the sea wafts into the car. I breathe in, catching a glimpse of the Pacific down the hill from the house.
  5. threshold
    the starting point for a new state or experience
    And, of course, “crossing the threshold,” which is a literary term meaning “the point where the hero has finally committed to the journey.”
  6. precipice
    a very steep cliff
    We turn onto a road away from the PCH—away from the precipices and toward the canopy of trees that seem to welcome us after a long journey.
  7. astray
    away from the right path or direction
    I’ll be your guide through the good, the bad, the…Nope, I won’t reveal any more! You just have to trust that I’ll never lead you astray.
  8. ellipsis
    a mark indicating that words have been omitted
    TRUST ME. Okay? …
    Look, I get your hesitancy. I even added an ellipsis above to give you a second to pause.
  9. telltale
    disclosing unintentionally
    When someone says, “Trust me,” that’s usually a telltale sign to, um, not trust them.
  10. convergence
    the occurrence of two or more things coming together
    Because with a forthcoming drastic decision, Alberto will alter the course of this narrative, and our hero will soon have several different stories to process and contend with. Followed by a convergence of sorts.
  11. emission
    a substance that is released
    My dad never seemed to care about getting attention, but he cared about bringing attention to things he cared about, like reducing carbon emissions.
  12. depiction
    representation by drawing, painting, etc.
    It’s a depiction of Gonzalo (the character) holding a key high over his head.
  13. invoice
    send a bill to
    "You gave him cash?! Papi, he has to invoice the company, and then we direct deposit into his bank account."
  14. junket
    a trip taken by an official at public expense
    She used to take me with her to press junkets, but I’ve never liked being around all the crowds.
  15. exorbitant
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
    My grandfather frets over the hotel minifridge, complaining about the exorbitant price of a mini can of Pringles, while I half stare out the window and half text with my mom.
Created on Fri Mar 27 17:08:10 EDT 2026 (updated Wed Jun 03 19:08:50 EDT 2026)

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