Ninth Ward: List 5: Tuesday

by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Twelve-year-old Lanesha and her caretaker, both endowed with supernatural gifts, must fight to survive when Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1: Sunday–Tuesday; List 2: Wednesday–Friday; List 3: Saturday–Still Sunday; List 4: Monday–Monday Isn't Over; List 5: Tuesday

Here are links to our lists for other books by Jewell Parker Rhodes: Towers Falling, Ghost Boys
35 words 36 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sob
    weep convulsively
    He’s crying full-out—sobbing like the world has ended and Noah hasn’t landed his ark.
  2. tangle
    twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
    I see a plastic three-wheeler tangled in algae.
  3. hack
    chop or cut away
    Just tips of houses. Tops or halves of trees. Lampposts hacked off by water.
  4. angular
    having straight lines and sharp points or corners
    Rooftops—some flat, some angular—most, empty.
  5. feverish
    having or affected by an abnormally high body temperature
    TaShon is feverish and asleep. His legs, up to his knees, are bright red. His face is peeling.
  6. shimmer
    shine with a weak or fitful light
    I murmur, “Mama Ya-Ya, help me. Momma, help me.” But the night doesn’t answer. Nothing shimmers. There’s no message from another world.
  7. miserable
    characterized by physical suffering
    But we’re going to go stir-crazy, get more and more miserable.
  8. shingle
    building material used as siding or roofing
    I move to the left—careful not to slip in the water, my feet angling on the roof. It’s slippery. Water is in my tennis shoes. The shingles are slick with oil and gunk.
  9. perpendicular
    intersecting at or forming right angles
    It’s south, perpendicular to both our houses. “A sharp right angle.” If it’d been parallel, it might’ve floated out—at least on the north side. But the angle kept it safe.
  10. lunatic
    an insane person
    I lie down on my stomach, shouting, “Come on, come on!” like a lunatic to the tree.
  11. current
    a steady flow of a fluid or gas
    We flap our hands in the water, trying to make it draw near. Trying to create another current in the muddy tide.
  12. brace
    support and make steadfast
    “Brace yourself.” Though the tree is moving slow, it’ll be heavy. “Don’t fall! Don’t fall in.”
  13. plunge
    dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity
    I inch my body further, my hips and legs still touching the roof. Inhaling, I plunge forward.
  14. lance
    a long pointed rod used as a weapon
    I hold the trunk in my arms and pull it around like a lance. I wonder how knights moved their huge poles on horses?
  15. jut
    extend out or project in space
    The trunk wants to tilt up; I push it down with all my might. But I can’t figure out how to jut it forward. There’s another foot before the tree will touch the boat.
  16. clench
    squeeze together tightly
    TaShon grabs the trunk with all his might. I see muscles in his arms, neck, face clench.
  17. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    Then, face grim, he starts to inch backward.
  18. gasp
    breathe in a heavy or labored way
    He gasps. Sweat is dripping from his shoulder blades.
  19. offset
    compensate for or counterbalance
    Me and TaShon lean back, offsetting the tree’s drop into the water. But we counterbalance too much. The trunk points towards the clouds. We’re losing our balance.
  20. level
    make straight
    “Level,” I shout. “We need to level it.”
  21. cradle
    hold gently and carefully
    We sit, slowly inching our butts onto the roof, cradling the trunk against our chests and on our laps.
  22. expanse
    a wide and open space or area, as of land, sea, or sky
    I look out at the expanse of water.
  23. grunt
    issue a low, animal-like noise
    I hold my breath, grunt as I push.
  24. flail
    thrash about
    My hands flail and splash, trying to keep my head above water.
  25. parallel
    being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting
    My head is tipped back, parallel to the sky. I’m panicking.
  26. radiant
    emanating or as if emanating light
    My mother is shining—a bright, radiant light, and I can see.
  27. stable
    resistant to change of position or condition
    I press my butt into the boat to keep it stable.
  28. whimper
    cry weakly or softly
    Spot paces. Whimpers.
  29. topple
    fall down, as if collapsing
    The boat rocks. Water rushes in. I think we’re going to topple over.
  30. ripple
    a small wave on the surface of a liquid
    I see a bright ripple, like lightning, in the water.
  31. blister
    an elevation of the skin filled with fluid
    Thirsty, sore, sunburned, blisters bubbling on our hands, laughing, me and TaShon are having fun.
  32. concrete
    capable of being perceived by the senses
    I sense, if they could, the dead would build a bridge. Help the living. If their spirits were concrete, we, and the rest of the Ninth Ward (all of New Orleans), would be forever safe.
  33. levee
    an embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing
    Ghost levees. Ghost bridges.
  34. escort
    accompaniment of someone or something for protection
    “You two deserve an escort.” The second man ties a rope to our boat.
  35. interpreter
    someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
    I’m Lanesha. Born with a caul. Interpreter of symbols and signs. Future engineer. Shining love.
Created on Thu Dec 21 19:17:10 EST 2017 (updated Mon Jun 25 16:39:39 EDT 2018)

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