Ruby Holler: Chapters 1–5

by Sharon Creech
Twins Dallas and Florida have been in and out of foster homes their entire lives—will they be able to trust their unconventional new guardians and find a home in Ruby Holler?

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–17, Chapters 18–25, Chapters 26–45, Chapters 46–66

Here are links to our lists for other works by Sharon Creech: Walk Two Moons, The Unfinished Angel
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
    The bird turned suddenly, veering south over the small town of Boxton, toward the faded yellow building and the window from which Dallas leaned.
  2. putrid
    in an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odor
    “Putrid weeds,” Florida snarled, heaving a clod of dirt over her shoulder.
  3. snarl
    utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
    “Putrid weeds,” Florida snarled, heaving a clod of dirt over her shoulder.
  4. heave
    throw with great effort
    “Putrid weeds,” Florida snarled, heaving a clod of dirt over her shoulder.
  5. clod
    a compact mass
    Dallas watched as the clod landed on Mr. Trepid’s back and as the man scuttled over to Florida and whacked her on the head.
  6. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Dallas watched as the clod landed on Mr. Trepid’s back and as the man scuttled over to Florida and whacked her on the head.
  7. snare
    catch in or as if in a trap
    Dallas wished the silver bird would return and snare Mr. Trepid and carry him high up over the town and then drop him, splat, in the middle.
  8. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    One of these buildings was the Boxton Creek Home for Children, a ramshackle house that tilted toward the train tracks and hills beyond.
  9. bungle
    make a mess of, destroy, or ruin
    In this building lived the bungling managers, Mr. and Mrs. Trepid; their assistant, Morgan; and thirteen children, ranging in age from six months to thirteen years.
  10. unkempt
    not properly maintained or cared for
    They were tall for their age, dark-haired and dark-eyed, with sturdy frames and a rough-edged and unkempt look about them.
  11. inclined
    having a preference, disposition, or tendency
    Dallas was the quieter of the two and the one more inclined to daydreaming, while Florida was loud and squirmy, with her mouth full of words bursting out, and her face full of expression, flashing from surprise to disgust in an instant.
  12. squat
    having a low center of gravity; built low to the ground
    Mr. Trepid, who was a short, squat man with an awkward walk like a crab scuttling across the ocean floor, did not particularly like thinking or working himself, but he firmly believed that these were good things for children.
  13. solely
    without any others being included or involved
    It was run solely by the Trepids, with the help of their overworked assistant, Morgan, who referred to herself as Chief Gopher.
  14. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    Children came and went. Some were taken in by foster families or adopted. A few ran away but were inevitably returned.
  15. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    And although Mr. and Mrs. Trepid had tried their best to move Dallas and Florida out (or rather, as Mrs. Trepid explained it to them, “to find you a lovely home”), the twins were always brought back to the big front door by exasperated adults.
  16. wail
    a cry of sorrow and grief
    At night, Dallas and Florida listened to the wail of freight trains making their way through Boxton and on to...to where?
  17. holler
    a small valley between mountains
    Twenty miles from Boxton was Ruby Holler, a lush, green hidden valley with only two cabins nestled in its depths.
  18. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    Twenty miles from Boxton was Ruby Holler, a lush, green hidden valley with only two cabins nestled in its depths.
  19. nestle
    lie in a sheltered position
    Twenty miles from Boxton was Ruby Holler, a lush, green hidden valley with only two cabins nestled in its depths.
  20. grumble
    make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath
    One warm morning in June, the man and his wife sat on their porch swing.
    “Same old view,” the man grumbled.
  21. meek
    humble in spirit or manner
    The Trepids would have preferred Dallas and Florida to be meek and cowed, like the others.
  22. cow
    subdue or overcome by affecting with fear or awe
    The Trepids would have preferred Dallas and Florida to be meek and cowed, like the others.
  23. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    He tentatively stabbed the chunk of meat, imagining that it was steak, the juiciest, best steak in the world.
  24. grimy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    “To the palace,” he said.
    Florida raced down the hall. “To the grimy dark dungeon of the decrepit palace.”
  25. decrepit
    worn and broken down by hard use
    "To the palace,” he said.
    Florida raced down the hall. “To the grimy dark dungeon of the decrepit palace.”
  26. offense
    an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
    Laughing at Dallas and Florida was a serious offense, in the eyes of the Trepids.
  27. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    Once inside their rooms, Dallas and Florida each pried up a loose floorboard and deposited their takings from the kitchen: one nearly whole piece of bread and one raw potato each.
  28. stave off
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    It was always good to know that there was something under the boards, something to stave off hunger in the night.
  29. queasy
    feeling nausea
    Her insides felt jumbled and queasy.
  30. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
    Florida seized the jar from Mr. Hopper and smashed it on the floor, sending quarters and shards of glass spattering across the floor like hundreds of silver beetles.
  31. splotch
    an irregularly shaped spot or patch
    She tried to make her mind a blank white canvas, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep the canvas blank. Splotches found their way on it, splotches which turned into images, which turned into people.
  32. unruly
    unable to be governed or controlled
    The woman was tall and large-boned, with frizzy, unruly hair.
  33. splay
    turned outward in an ungainly manner
    The man’s back was to her, but he stood in a sort of loose-limbed way, his feet splayed out, his arms swinging at his sides.
  34. matted
    tangled in a dense mass
    She almost called out, Hey, Dad! but then the man had turned, and she saw his matted hair, and there was something about him that frightened her.
  35. hurl
    throw forcefully
    She hopped off her seat, picked up the stool, and hurled it against the wall, smashing the spider.
Created on Mon Apr 15 21:12:05 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Jul 11 10:53:07 EDT 2019)

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