The Girls of Skylark Lane: Chapters 8–10

by Robin Benway
Twin sisters Aggie and Jac join a ragtag softball team after moving to Los Angeles. As the girls develop different interests and friendships, can they hold on to their sisterhood?

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–7, Chapters 8–10, Chapters 11–12, Chapters 13–16
15 words 6 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. diligently
    in a hard-working manner
    Aggie still set up all of her stuffed animals on her bed. She didn’t really care too much about clothes or shoes, even as Jac diligently unpacked and organized and reorganized her closet.
  2. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Her papa was planting an autumn vegetable bed along their fence, his brow furrowed in concentration as he worked.
  3. aura
    distinctive but intangible quality around a person or thing
    “You’re being weird,” she said.
    “I haven’t even said anything!” Jac protested. “How am I being weird?”
    “I don’t know, just your whole aura.”
  4. cranky
    easily irritated or annoyed
    “Sorry. You know I’m cranky in the morning.”
  5. understatement
    something said in a restrained way for ironic contrast
    “Yeah, but she’s working on some diorama for her art class.” That was an understatement, but Jac didn’t feel like getting into the details about how Aggie and their papa were trying to wire a shoebox with electricity, which was part of the reason why Jac and her dad had escaped outside.
  6. guffaw
    a burst of loud and hearty laughter
    Adriana let out a loud guffaw at that, right as Lisa came down to meet them, along with a few people pushing hand trucks.
  7. dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    Jac grabbed her base and hauled it over to the sidewalk, as did Adriana and Marnie; Aggie herded up the spare bats; and Dylan grabbed Josephine’s hand to make sure that she didn’t dawdle before they were all taken out by someone’s Range Rover.
  8. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
    Jac patted her arm. “Just let Adri do her thing,” she said. “It’s for a good cause.”
    That seemed to mollify Tink somewhat, or at least enough that she begrudgingly helped Adri stack some business cards.
  9. begrudgingly
    in an unwilling manner
    Jac patted her arm. “Just let Adri do her thing,” she said. “It’s for a good cause.”
    That seemed to mollify Tink somewhat, or at least enough that she begrudgingly helped Adri stack some business cards.
  10. preen
    pride or congratulate oneself for an achievement
    “My mom’s the same way,” Taylor said, looking around at Aggie’s room. “Cool room. It’s very...neat.”
    “Thanks,” Aggie said, preening a little. She took a lot of pride in her neatness.
  11. practically
    for almost all actual purposes but not completely
    Aggie rolled her eyes. “She thinks she’s practically a teenager now.”
  12. clarify
    make clear and comprehensible
    “I thought Dylan’s parents split,” Aggie said, frowning a little.
    “No, they divorced,” Tink clarified. “Like, dunzo. Finito. No more.”
  13. beeline
    the most direct route
    Jac happened to be on the aisle, so Taylor made a beeline for her.
  14. ovation
    enthusiastic recognition
    The audience was applauding, though, with both of her parents giving her a standing ovation in their opposite corners of the auditorium.
  15. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    A tiara was perched precariously on top of her head.
Created on Sat Jun 20 19:49:37 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Jul 21 15:25:33 EDT 2026)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.