The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez: Chapters 4–7

by Adrianna Cuevas
Twelve-year-old Nestor Lopez has a secret: he can communicate with animals. When the animals in his town begin mysteriously disappearing, Nestor must use his special abilities to investigate.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–10, Chapters 11–14, Chapters 15–26
25 words 28 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    Always Be Positive. Always Be Happy.
    Mom drilled these two mantras into me about three deployments ago.
  2. priority
    status established in order of importance or urgency
    But sometimes it really sucks being his last priority.
  3. lurk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    As far as he knows, New Haven is a small, boring town with no annoying animals or mysterious threats lurking behind trees.
  4. nonexistent
    not having being or actuality
    Stuffing my face with Abuela’s guava pastries helps me forget my mom has moved me to a nonexistent town where bullies flick rejected dessert at you and the woods swallow up family pets.
  5. radioactive
    exhibiting or caused by emissions in nuclear decay
    I ignore that the rabbit my dad drew looks like the result of a radioactive experiment.
  6. clarify
    make clear and comprehensible
    She turns and says to Abuela, "Please don't tell my mom I was here."
    I give them both a puzzled look, but they don’t clarify.
  7. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Her abnormally long neck juts forward each time she says volume.
  8. glint
    a momentary flash of light
    The glint from Abuela’s knife flashes in my brain.
  9. scamper
    run or move about quickly or lightly
    "Nice job on the quiz, kiddo," Milla says, scampering up her cage and diving into her hammock.
  10. bayonet
    stab or kill someone with a knife at the end of a rifle
    "What was your mascot at your last school? The Parachuting Penguins? Bayoneting Beavers?"
  11. valiant
    having or showing heroism or courage
    I smile. "No, we were the General Sherman School of Tanks and Missiles Valiant Vultures."
  12. suffocate
    feel or make uncomfortable for lack of fresh air
    Don’t enter the decaying, abandoned building covered in suffocating vines and bloody handprints.
  13. crest
    reach a high point
    We crest the top of a hill and spot a figure below us, writhing in the dirt next to a large century cactus.
  14. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    We crest the top of a hill and spot a figure below us, writhing in the dirt next to a large century cactus.
  15. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    I shake my head. "It’s a hunting trap. It must’ve snapped around that coyote’s leg the second he stepped on it."
    Talib winces. “That doesn’t seem right.”
  16. shudder
    tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
    The coyote shudders in my arms.
  17. incompetent
    not qualified or suited for a purpose
    But about three weeks ago, the stress of attempting to teach science to incompetent twelve-year-olds must’ve gotten to her.
  18. malicious
    having the nature of threatening evil
    She hovered a red pen over one paper, a look of malicious glee in her eyes.
  19. inedible
    not suitable for food
    I stick my fork in the inedible mass on my tray.
  20. expectant
    marked by eager anticipation
    Miss Humala stands in front of her desk and holds out the first card. "This animal is a type of worm that drinks three to four times its body weight in blood." She clicks her large front teeth expectantly.
  21. genus
    taxonomic group containing one or more species
    "These are your study cards. You should staple them together by animal genus. And ring your bell when you know the answer. See if you can beat me," she says, winking.
  22. disband
    cause to break up or cease to function
    The club disbanded before the end of the school year, when two of the members duct-taped bottle rockets to their opponents’ chairs and superglued the moderator's hand to his microphone.
  23. knack
    a special way of doing something
    "Excellent!" Miss Humala claps, her white-blond curly hair bouncing up and down. "You all really have a knack for this.”
  24. nocturnal
    belonging to or active during the night
    Miss Humala clears her throat and continues. "This nocturnal African animal eats ants and termites and is best known for being at the start of the dictionary."
  25. primate
    any mammal of the group including monkeys, apes, and humans
    Miss Humala selects another card and holds it up in front of her nose. “This primate barks and screams when angry and will even throw its own—”
Created on Mon Feb 22 20:09:40 EST 2021 (updated Mon Mar 01 16:41:33 EST 2021)

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