George: Chapters 8-9

by Alex Gino
Inside, George knows that she is a girl. When her class puts on a production of Charlotte's Web, she is not allowed to try out for the role of Charlotte — but with the help of her best friend, George is determined to show the world who she really is.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-3, Chapters 4-5, Chapters 6-7, Chapters 8-9, Chapters 10-12
25 words 25 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    Kelly was indignant.
  2. endeavor
    a purposeful or industrious undertaking
    “As you are aware, our play is fast approaching. It’s time for us to kick into high gear. We will be limiting our traditional academic endeavors to the forenoon hours.”
  3. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    Ms. Udell held a stern look for a moment before breaking into a grin.
  4. drone
    an unchanging intonation
    The morning passed in a drone of vocabulary, fractions, and reading.
  5. projection
    the phenomenon that gives sound a penetrating quality
    Kelly said she knew all about voice projection, and she would be happy to help anyone who needed some coaching.
  6. tarp
    a sheet of waterproofed canvas
    A half-dozen cans of paint, a bag of brushes, some buckets, a heap of cardboard, and several large tarps waited in a pile underneath the bent rim.
  7. backdrop
    scenery hung at the rear of a stage
    “Now it’s time to create the backdrop for our actors, to bring literature to life! Remember, the lifeblood of a play is its crew. If the actors are like Wilbur, the star of the fair, then we are like Charlotte, the unseen heroes who got him there. Now let’s help our stars put on SOME PERFORMANCE.”
  8. trough
    a long narrow shallow receptacle
    They argued about where to sketch hay bales, the pig trough, and Templeton’s nest, and whether they needed to paint the Arables’ kitchen at all.
  9. smock
    a loose coverall that protects the clothes
    Mr. Jackson handed out smocks made from large men’s button-down shirts.
  10. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    “What do you wanna pull the curtain for?” said Jeff, his voice filled with disdain.
  11. crevice
    a long narrow opening
    His words crawled under her skin, settling deep into the crevices of her bones.
  12. arc
    something curved in shape
    She opened her mouth wide and vomit spewed forth in an arc that started at Jeff’s shoes and splattered all the way up to his face.
  13. deface
    mar or spoil the appearance of
    “Now, Mrs. Mitchell, George has defaced student property, and that is a serious offense. However, given the nature of the incident, as well as lack of a prior record on George’s part, I would just as soon resolve this as simply as possible.”
  14. intersperse
    place between or among
    List upon list of phone numbers and email addresses were taped up to the lower half, interspersed with handwritten notes held up with thumbtacks pressed directly into the wall.
  15. lenient
    characterized by tolerance and mercy
    “I wouldn’t make a habit of bothering Jeff. Some kids like trouble, and they’ll do whatever they can to find it. And if you land back in this office again, I can promise you I won’t be so lenient.”
  16. flub
    blunder; make a mess of something
    Kelly emphasized some of the wrong words, and she still sometimes flubbed Charlotte’s first line by saying “SalutaTAtions” instead of “Salutations.”
  17. devious
    characterized by insincerity or deceit
    George could practically hear the devious grin on Kelly’s face, and she could certainly feel the grin on hers.
  18. hurtle
    move with or as if with a rushing sound
    Kelly’s shrieking voice hurtled through the phone.
  19. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
    He filled the car with a rant about his history teacher, followed by a tirade about his math teacher and a torrent about his biology teacher.
  20. divert
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
    George was glad that Scott was diverting Mom’s attention.
  21. awning
    a canvas canopy to shelter people or things from rain or sun
    Red awnings with thick green borders hung across the wide windows of the large, squat building.
  22. forage
    collect or look around for, as food
    Inside, happy eaters sat at booths and tables, their plates filled with food foraged from a dozen different cuisines in heaps of each person’s favorites.
  23. fritter
    fried batter containing meat, vegetables, or fruit
    George filled her plate with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn fritters, pizza, a pile of nachos, and a cube of cherry Jell-O hidden under a taco, to eat while Mom was getting her own food.
  24. decadent
    relating to indulgence in something pleasurable
    She said it was healthy, not to mention delicious, but she always ate it quickly and then returned with a plate just as decadent as George’s and Scott’s.
  25. indulgence
    the act of gratifying a desire
    All three of them stuffed their faces until they dragged their very full stomachs to the car, groaning all the way, much like Templeton the rat after his night of indulgence at the fair.
Created on Tue Feb 13 15:35:45 EST 2018 (updated Tue Feb 13 16:07:17 EST 2018)

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