Beast Rider: Chapters 1–6

by Tony Johnston, María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads
Twelve-year-old Manuel attempts to make a difficult and dangerous journey from Mexico to Los Angeles to reunite with his older brother.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–15, Chapters 16–28
35 words 362 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. till
    work land as by ploughing to make it ready for cultivation
    “We are People of Corn,” Papi says. “Since time before time our family has tilled this field,” he tells me proudly and many times over.
  2. furrow
    a long shallow trench in the ground
    On this day I am walking barefoot behind Trini, up and down, up and down, plowing weeds in the furrows, the dirt rough beneath my feet.
  3. balk
    refuse to proceed or comply
    Then—Trini balks and plunges away dragging the plow, bellowing.
  4. flourish
    move or swing back and forth
    Even with this mean work, he will do it with flair, maybe sometimes flourishing the toilet brush, maybe sometimes singing in his big, loud voice.
  5. clod
    a compact mass
    One night on my petate, I dream. A pale figure rises, little clods of earth from the milpita soundlessly crumbling off the small body.
  6. hoard
    save up as for future use
    I begin to hoard foods. Small things that will not give me away.
  7. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    I devise myself a peso plan, for the trip in general—food and stuff—but especially for my feet.
  8. offhand
    with little or no preparation or forethought
    I announce this foot part to my family in an offhand way.
  9. resolve
    the trait of being firm in purpose or belief
    If such tennis shoes exist I am to earn them. And I will. To do this thing I become Resolve itself.
  10. splurge
    any act of immoderate indulgence
    The tiendita holds a collection of most beautifully disorganized items, both necessaries and “splurges for the soul,” as Abue puts it.
  11. machete
    a large knife used as a weapon or for cutting vegetation
    Foods like frijoles and papas, clothing, plows, tools, nails, machetes, ropes, leather goods, baskets, comales for the toasting of tortillas and such, cleaning rags, buckets, and jeans jeans jeans, which have taken over.
  12. vigorously
    in an energetic manner
    “No, no, no, no, no!” she replies vigorously. She pops those “no”s out quickly like fiesta fireworks.
  13. solemn
    characterized by a firm belief in your opinions
    “Hermano, brother,” I say all in a rush when he picks up, “I am coming to you. If you tell Papi, I am coming anyway. I will call you when I can.” I speak these words with such solemnness, I know Toño will keep still.
  14. unswerving
    firm and dependable, especially in loyalty
    He would not give it to me for my unswerving purpose.
  15. stealth
    the act of moving in a quiet or secretive way to avoid being noticed
    Just before I go, with great stealth I lift with care Papi’s sweater from the hook where it hangs.
  16. casual
    without or seeming to be without plan or method; offhand
    Before now, in the pueblito, I have asked questions with my best casualness about this train. Has anybody here ridden it? Are there polis, police? What are the secrets? What must I know to last?
  17. myriad
    too numerous to be counted
    Suddenly, magically, I see shapes emerging from the tops of the cars, from the sides, from myriad hidden places.
  18. spontaneous
    happening or arising without apparent external cause
    Dark shapes like mushrooms spontaneously arising, arms flailing, signaling me what to do.
  19. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
    A wild chorus of voices, a complete cacophony—not soft grillos—shouts crazily from everywhere it seems, urging me forth.
  20. ferocity
    the property of being aggressive or forceful
    The brotherhood of Beast Riders is lifting me in a huge hum of instructions, with great ferocity of purpose, with a kind of love new to me. Love that says Stranger, we are in this together.
  21. grubby
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    They are grubby and stinking of sweat and urine and filth, and prickly with beards, like cactus—except the women and children—but I do not care.
  22. lurch
    move abruptly
    The Beast lurches. My stomach lurches. I pray I will not fall off and be sliced to pieces.
  23. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    The thing churns on its way, roaring as it goes, careening sometimes side to side like a drunken dragon, leaning, nearly tipping I think with horror, always screaming, while the wind hurls itself over the long and mourning monster.
  24. sift
    move as if through a sieve
    Soot from the engine fills my mouth, blankets my clothes, sifts down my neck.
  25. maul
    injure badly
    They would maul me for my pesitos, then how would I get a phone card to call my home, or Toño?
  26. jeer
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    He has friends who jeer along with him, as if he is the boss.
  27. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    “I am sorry,” I say bleakly, “I can give you nothing. My food, it is gone.”
  28. bound
    headed or intending to head in a certain direction
    I am on a strange train bound for a strange land, among strangers, many from far places, with nobody who truly cares for me.
  29. evade
    escape, either physically or mentally
    Everybody swarms for the ladders in a crazed rush to evade the police.
  30. bramble
    any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
    Next thing I am crashing through brambles, patches of briars, being lashed, stifling my cries against the whips of wicked branches.
  31. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Next thing I am crashing through brambles, patches of briars, being lashed, stifling my cries against the whips of wicked branches.
  32. fester
    generate pus
    As The Beast roars on, my wounds become warm. I feel a throbbing. Already, I believe, they are festering.
  33. dung
    fecal matter of animals
    While plowing our milpita I have often watched beetles in the fields. These are the ruedacacas, rollers of dung.
  34. toil
    work hard
    Sometimes I pause just to study their toilings. I know I should keep on in my own toilings, but these beetles are so enchanting.
  35. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    Night and day, people—dirty, sweaty, hungry, thirsty, scared like me—press against each other, people from all over. They sprawl on whatever space there is and pray.
Created on Mon Dec 16 18:14:49 EST 2019 (updated Wed Dec 18 10:16:04 EST 2019)

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