Westfallen: Chapters 1–8

by Ann Brashares, Ben Brashares
What if you had a gizmo — like a radio — that connected you to the past; and what if, in connecting to the past, the course of history was greatly altered? Alice and her friends in 1944 and Henry and his friends in 2023 find themselves in just such a predicament — and the fate of America could depend on them!

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–17, Chapters 18–24, Chapters 25–30, Chapters 31–36
15 words 33 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. recruiter
    someone who finds new employees or members for an organization
    Lukas was really good at baseball. Like, really good. Coaches said his “eye” and swing were even better than his older brother’s (his brother had college recruiters lining up in eighth grade).
  2. U-boat
    a German submarine used during World War I and World War II
    A family picnic ended in panic Monday evening in Sea Bright after onlookers claimed to glimpse a German U-boat off the coast.
  3. conceited
    having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    Things to let lie: sleeping dogs, broken radios, and conceited jerks.
  4. divot
    a piece of turf dug out of a lawn or fairway
    “Why can’t you just pretend you don’t know me?” I asked him.
    “Oh, I try,” Artie said, helping me free a wheel from a divot in the grass.
  5. emit
    express audibly; utter sounds
    The light at the top started pulsing red.
    We stared at each other as it emitted a long, insistent blast of static. “I really wasn’t expecting it to answer,” I said.
  6. static
    crackling or hissing noise caused by electrical interference
    The light at the top started pulsing red.
    We stared at each other as it emitted a long, insistent blast of static. “I really wasn’t expecting it to answer,” I said.
  7. dumbstruck
    so surprised or shocked as to be unable to speak
    “Hello?” said the voice, a boy’s voice. Then a thud. “It’s not gonna work,” the voice said.
    We stood there dumbstruck. We turned to look at each other. “Do something?” Lukas said. “Say something back!”
  8. size up
    look at closely in order to form an opinion about
    “So…in what way does this work?” Lawrence asked, sizing up the radio. He fiddled with the knobs and plugged and unplugged the speaker. “How did you turn it on?”
    Artie and I looked at each other. “We didn’t,” I said.
  9. commemorate
    be or provide a memorial to a person or an event
    I scanned the park in a slow circle. I walked over to the low concrete monument that commemorates the war dead of Millerton.
  10. obscure
    make undecipherable or imperceptible by concealing
    It wasn’t tall enough to obscure anybody from any planet. It was just a short stone pillar with a bunch of names carved into the sides that I’d never taken the time to read.
  11. cicada
    stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings
    The cicadas picked up their chirping as the sun slowly disappeared behind the hedgerows.
  12. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
    Artie and I followed him in. Artie ducked slightly as the door swung behind us, ready in case Schrödinger, the Snyders’ cat, pounced on his head. Schrödinger had a penchant for Artie’s head.
  13. eccentricity
    strange and unconventional behavior
    Eli spent hours after school in the store hanging out with Ada and her dad and the one or two customers that might come in. Mr. Kim didn’t mind Eli’s eccentricities. He appreciated them.
  14. tenacious
    good at remembering
    To my surprise, a dollar bill swished from the bottom and fluttered to the ground. I kneeled to pick it up. “I forgot about that,” I said.
    That just shows you how distracted I was at the time. Lawrence knows I am tenacious about a dollar bill.
  15. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “It’s mine, right?” I interrupted quickly. “It says ‘Happy birthday, Alice.’”
    “Yeah, and there’s a dollar bill inside it.”
    “They stole your birthday card and your money!” Artie said indignantly.
Created on Sun Aug 02 20:46:24 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 01 11:40:19 EDT 2026)

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