"Stargirl" list #2

Jonathan B. (United States of America)
Stargirl Caraway lives life on her own terms, but when she moves to a new town her unique personality rubs others the wrong way. As the school year goes on, Stargirl is torn between staying true to herself and fitting in. Here are links to our lists for the novel: Porcupine Necktie–Chapter 7, Chapters 8–15, Chapters 16–25, Chapter 26–More Than StarsHere are links to other works by Jerry Spinelli: Maniac Magee, Milkweed
19 words 68 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. gaudy
    tastelessly showy
    I faced the gaudy sunflower on her canvas bag—it looked hand-painted—and at last my eyes fell into hers.
  2. waver
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
    It came toward me, wavering over the pebbled driveway.
  3. crevice
    a long narrow opening
    I could feel the tiny tongue mopping the crevices of my left ear.
  4. smitten
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    You were smitten with me. You were speechless to behold my beauty. You had never met anyone so fascinating. You thought of me every waking minute. You dreamed about me.
  5. barren
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    To the person who expects every desert to be barren sand dunes, the Sonoran must come as a surprise.
  6. promenade
    a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk
    Then she took my arm as if we were strolling down a promenade and she said, “Scream, Leo.”
  7. dilapidated
    in a state of decay, ruin, or deterioration
    The only notable presence was a tall, dilapidated saguaro, a bundle of sticks, in worse shape than Archie’s Senor.
  8. immobilize
    to hold fast or prevent from moving
    I could immobilize my arms and legs, but inside me it was rush hour in downtown Phoenix.
  9. gloat
    dwell on with satisfaction
    Whenever we passed her, she tilted toward us with a gloating smirk on her face.
  10. repent
    feel sorry for; be contrite about
    Unless he repents, nobody speaks to him for the rest of his life.
  11. blurt
    utter impulsively
    After staring stupidly at him for a long time, I blurted, “She cheers for the other team!”
  12. derelict
    worn and broken down by hard use
    Shortly we were standing before the derelict giant.
  13. masochistic
    deriving pleasure from being abused or dominated
    Glendale, the team we had lost to, got bitter, masochistic attention on the roadrunner with scores in foot-high numerals, as they continued to win and move through the tournament.
  14. rapture
    a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
    We listened in rapture, and so, I half believed, did the tumbleweed and cacti, the desert, the mountains, all listening to the girl in the long falling skirt.
  15. grope
    search blindly or uncertainly
    I groped for the right words.
  16. wrest
    obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically
    One of the little girls managed to wrest the banana roadster away from Peter Sinkowitz.
  17. morale
    a state of individual psychological well-being
    To see one of their own priming the opposition did something to the team’s morale that hours of practice could not overcome.
  18. seething
    in constant agitation
    Unlike Stargirl, I was aware of the constant anger of our schoolmates, seething like snakes under a porch.
  19. impose
    inflict something unpleasant
    But the rest was silence, a second desert imposed upon the one I already lived in, where “Hi” was as rare as rain.
Created on Mon Sep 10 10:23:52 EDT 2018

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