Lucky Broken Girl: Part III

by Ruth Behar
Recent immigrants from Cuba, Ruthie and her family are just learning to adjust to life in New York City when Ruthie is severely injured in a car accident. This novel, based in part on the author's childhood experiences, won the 2018 Pura Belpré Award.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Parts I and II, Part III, Parts IV and V
40 words 122 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. nape
    the back side of the neck
    Mami scrubs my shoulders and the nape of my neck so hard that it hurts.
  2. lather
    the froth produced by soaps or detergents
    She wets my hair, working up a lather and then rinsing it with cups of warm water.
  3. practically
    almost; nearly
    Clara trims the hair around my head and ears until I’m practically bald.
  4. compact
    a small cosmetics case with a mirror
    Then she brings me her small compact mirror.
  5. sensitive
    responsive to physical stimuli
    “Don’t worry, kid. You haven’t been outside for months. Your eyes have become sensitive.”
  6. mischievous
    naughtily or annoyingly playful
    He laughs in his mischievous way.
  7. endure
    undergo or be subjected to
    “I am sorry. That must be difficult to endure.”
  8. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
    The chain holds a silver pendant that’s got a figure of a man with long hair who is standing on one leg and lifting the other in the air.
  9. tunic
    loose fitting cloak or blouse extending to the hips or knees
    He stands by my bed wearing Indian clothes, a loose tunic and wide pants.
  10. brittle
    having little elasticity
    It feels brittle, like a dry leaf in autumn.
  11. boisterous
    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
    He is so boisterous I can hear everything he says from the bedroom.
  12. swoop
    a swift descent through the air
    Then she lifts the covers in one swoop.
  13. porcelain
    ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic
    Mami responds and brings the coffee to Chicho in one of her tiny porcelain cups.
  14. psychedelic
    having vivid colors and bizarre patterns
    “You paint in a psychedelic way. My teacher is going to love it,” I tell him, and I’m proud of myself for using that grown-up word.
  15. plantain
    starchy banana-like fruit
    I only get a little bit of each thing and not even one fried plantain.
  16. specialize
    devote oneself to a particular area of work
    “I wanted to be an artist, but my papá wouldn’t let me. He said it wasn’t a good career for a young man. So I became an engineer. I specialize in bridges. But at night, I take out my paints and make pictures. Just for myself.”
  17. altar
    a raised structure on which sacrifices to a god are made
    You see, I have an altar in my apartment. It’s a Mexican tradition to have an altar with flowers and candles and pictures of your ancestors and of people who have died whose souls need to find peace and tranquility. Make me a picture of Avik and I will add it to my altar.
  18. tranquility
    an untroubled state that is free from disturbances
    You see, I have an altar in my apartment. It’s a Mexican tradition to have an altar with flowers and candles and pictures of your ancestors and of people who have died whose souls need to find peace and tranquility. Make me a picture of Avik and I will add it to my altar.
  19. halo
    radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
    I paint her in her bell-bottom pants and puffy-sleeved blouse with a halo of flowers and a pink peace sign in her hands.
  20. masses
    the common people generally
    “She was a writer and a poet. She wrote a poem that is engraved on the Statue of Liberty that says, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’”
  21. yearn
    desire strongly or persistently
    “She was a writer and a poet. She wrote a poem that is engraved on the Statue of Liberty that says, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’”
  22. expression
    the communication of your beliefs or opinions
    “That’s all right, Ruthie. We have freedom of belief here in America. And freedom of expression too.”
  23. overwhelming
    very intense
    It’s overwhelming sometimes, but she makes me think about important things I would never think about, and then I don’t feel so bad that I’m stuck in bed and can’t go to school like all the regular kids.
  24. amputate
    remove surgically
    “Before that, she had polio. Her right leg was shorter than her left. She wore long skirts to cover her legs. Eventually they had to amputate her right leg.”
    “Amputate? What does that mean, Chicho?”
    “The leg became infected. The doctors had to cut it off to save her life.”
  25. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
    She wants you to get well. She knows you are resilient too.
  26. bounty
    the property of being richly abundant or plentiful
    He rummages through the candy, enjoying being in charge of the extra bounty, but then he becomes downcast and says, “Roofie, if I take your candy, all those people who thought I was a liar, just pretending to be trick-or-treating for you, will be right. I don’t want to be a crook.”
  27. downcast
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    He rummages through the candy, enjoying being in charge of the extra bounty, but then he becomes downcast and says, “Roofie, if I take your candy, all those people who thought I was a liar, just pretending to be trick-or-treating for you, will be right. I don’t want to be a crook.”
  28. caress
    a gentle affectionate stroking
    “By that time of year, there are no hurricanes. The breezes are soft by then, like a gentle caress.”
  29. tiara
    a jeweled, semicircular band worn on the head
    Then Chicho places a tiara on my head, my first ever, with sparkly crystals.
  30. proclaim
    declare formally
    “We officially proclaim you the birthday queen!”
  31. petite
    very small
    There’s pretty, petite Mimi and her much older husband, Bernardo, and their children, Amaryllis and Abie, who go to yeshiva and know all the Hebrew prayers.
  32. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
    “I know what you need—a new perspective. Let’s turn your bed around, so you can see what’s on the other side.”
  33. ablaze
    resembling flame in brilliance or color
    I show Chicho my new paintings, ablaze with bright colors. A field of green grass dotted with yellow dandelions. A sailboat floating on the bright blue sea. A huge butterfly flapping its pink and purple wings.
  34. linger
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    It is our last day of classes before the holiday break and we linger over our English muffins.
  35. tend
    have care of or look after
    “I have a white rose to tend...in July or January...I give it to my true friend,” I tell Joy.
  36. bilingual
    using or knowing two languages
    It’s a bilingual edition, Spanish on one side and English on the other.
  37. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    “Oh, Ruthie, you have such a wry sense of humor.”
  38. segregated
    separated or isolated from others or a main group
    I read about Dr. King going to Chicago to protest segregated neighborhoods and being attacked by a mob of angry white people who threw rocks at him.
  39. tolerant
    showing respect for the rights or opinions of others
    “I wish I did. But I’m grateful for the many good people there are too, like Dr. King, who is trying to teach us to be tolerant and accepting of each other, so we can all live together in harmony.”
  40. invincible
    incapable of being overcome or subdued
    And suddenly the teacher I thought was invincible looks as if she wants somebody to say “there, there” to her, just like I often need someone to say it to me.
Created on Tue Jun 26 15:34:04 EDT 2018 (updated Tue Jun 26 16:50:26 EDT 2018)

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