The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise: Chapters 1–3

by Dan Gemeinhart
Coyote and her dad have been living on the road since the deaths of her mother and sisters. When Coyote finds out that a park in her hometown is being demolished, she determines to trick her dad into returning so she can retrieve a memory box that she and her family once buried there.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–10, Chapters 11–18, Chapters 19–32, Chapters 33–48
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tyrannical
    marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior
    That tyrannical “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service” rule is pretty darn universal in America’s gas station convenience stores.
  2. churning
    moving with or producing or produced by vigorous agitation
    There was a kid standing in front of it, looking up at the churning slurry with desire written plain and clear across his face.
  3. covet
    wish, long, or crave for
    I nodded with my chin at the slushy he was coveting.
  4. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
    I ignored the hostile, good-riddance look on the cashier’s face when I paid.
  5. phosphorescent
    emitting light without appreciable heat
    He looked glumly at the phosphorescent pinkness in his cup.
  6. smitten
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    There were five kittens in that cardboard box, and when I leaned over to look in they all looked up at me with big round eyes and triangle ears and I tell you I was smitten.
  7. wispy
    thin and weak
    They were awfully cute, those tiny things with their wispy tails and whiskers.
  8. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    I crouched there, looking at that little silent white-and-gray furball.
    He looked back at me. He had a very serious look about him. Solemn, even.
  9. trifle
    consider not very seriously
    He was not a kitten to be trifled with.
  10. contraband
    distributed or sold illicitly
    I glanced over my shoulder anyway, ’cause I now had a contraband kitten to keep concealed.
  11. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    I sauntered up to the bus, sipping at my watermelon slushy like I didn’t have a care in the world.
  12. rivet
    fasten with a metal fastener
    I threw my head back and howled, a high and happy coyote wail that echoed off the riveted metal roof.
  13. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    I shrugged at them—the most fitting gesture, I thought—and threw them a big wave. They waved back, in unison. Good kids, those two. The kind of kids you almost wouldn’t mind seeing again.
  14. measly
    contemptibly small in amount
    One day. That’s how long I was able to keep little Ivan a secret from Rodeo. One measly day.
  15. amble
    walk leisurely
    I gave him a goodbye scratch and ambled up to the front of the bus.
  16. vanquish
    defeat in a competition, race, or conflict
    “So this girl of yours in the driftwood castle, I’m guessing she sets off to vanquish this monster?” Rodeo asked.
  17. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
    So I planted that seed and I let it set there the rest of the day. I watered it from time to time with wistful sighs and downcast eyes and a kinda overall downer attitude.
  18. downcast
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    So I planted that seed and I let it set there the rest of the day. I watered it from time to time with wistful sighs and downcast eyes and a kinda overall downer attitude.
  19. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
    I had the pet supplies stashed in my room and was back perusing the cantaloupes in the produce section by the time Rodeo came out, scratching at his beard and none the wiser.
  20. lull
    make calm or still
    We were still rolling down the highway—Rodeo liked to stay up late, driving deep into the night—and my bed rocked and swayed with the rhythm of the road, lulling me to sleep like it always did.
  21. wary
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
    He’s tall and hairy and clearly not what anybody would call “normal,” so folks always get pretty tight and wary and downright cold when he walks up.
  22. jolt
    move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    But then I jolted still and my eyes snapped wide, and that peaceful morning feeling went rushing right out of me.
  23. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
    The bus was still and quiet. There wasn’t a single wayward kitten or bearded hippie to be seen.
  24. nook
    a secluded place, corner, or recessed area
    I turned back toward Rodeo, ready to give the bus and its various nooks and crannies a more thorough front-to-back search.
  25. cranny
    a small opening or crevice
    I turned back toward Rodeo, ready to give the bus and its various nooks and crannies a more thorough front-to-back search.
  26. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    I made my way toward Rodeo’s sprawled body, one silent step at a time.
  27. ideal
    conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection
    I leaned awkwardly over Rodeo, pinwheeling my arms for a second to keep from toppling right onto him, which would not have been ideal.
  28. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    But, whatever it was, Rodeo’s eyes fluttered open. I stood still as a statue, hoping they’d settle right back closed.
    Instead, they slowly widened and focused on me. His eyebrows furrowed.
  29. loom
    hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
    He blinked a few times and looked me up and down, still looming like a strangler over him.
  30. deranged
    driven insane
    Rodeo, understandably startled to wake up and find himself being attacked by his deranged daughter, jumped and screamed and tried to scramble away from me.
  31. instantaneous
    occurring with no delay
    The results were both instantaneous and dramatic.
  32. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    He leaped to his feet with the most speed and athleticism I’d seen him muster since the time he surprised a raccoon in a campground outhouse.
  33. utter
    complete
    He was wearing nothing but a ratty pair of tighty-whities and a look of utter shock.
  34. forge
    move ahead steadily
    Rodeo’s breathing was starting to settle down a bit and his eyes looked slightly less frantic, so I figured it was a good time to forge ahead.
  35. restrained
    under control
    “Now, listen. I know we’ve had this conversation before, but this time is different. Ivan and me have really gotten to know each other over the last eighteen hours. He is unusually restrained and dignified for a cat of his age. An old soul, Rodeo. A fellow traveler.”
  36. dignified
    formal or stately in bearing or appearance
    “Now, listen. I know we’ve had this conversation before, but this time is different. Ivan and me have really gotten to know each other over the last eighteen hours. He is unusually restrained and dignified for a cat of his age. An old soul, Rodeo. A fellow traveler.”
  37. desperation
    hopeless recklessness
    I could hear my words speeding up, the desperation seeping into my voice.
  38. waver
    be unsure or weak
    Rodeo was gonna pronounce pets a no-go, and once Rodeo decided something was a no-go, he never wavered on it.
  39. grubby
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    I placed Ivan’s warm little self into Rodeo’s grubby hands.
  40. nestle
    move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position
    Rodeo cupped him in his hands, turned him around nice and easy, and then held the kitten up to his face. Ivan’s whole precious little body nestled in one of Rodeo’s palms.
Created on Sat Jan 11 20:34:49 EST 2020 (updated Tue Jan 28 13:38:16 EST 2020)

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