Mañanaland: Chapters 14–16

by Pam Muñoz Ryan
When eleven-year-old Max learns that his grandfather's magical stories are true, he goes on a quest to learn the truth about both his past and his future.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–16, Chapters 17–25, Chapters 26–30
25 words 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    She pranced along the path, stopping to relish the smells, and pouncing on every twig in her path.
  2. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    He opened the gate just enough for the two of them to sidle through.
  3. sparse
    not dense or plentiful
    Max searched but found nothing. He poked around the wall to see if a key was hidden behind the sparse branches.
  4. alcove
    a small recess opening off a large room or garden
    Lola kept climbing, so Max followed all the way to the third level where a recessed alcove greeted him.
  5. hearth
    a built-in space in a wall where a fire can be built
    Lola slept in front of the cold hearth.
  6. resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    He pitched the hay into Dulce’s feed trough, and with each forkful, his resentment grew—for his mother leaving him, for Papá not taking care of the birth certificate sooner, if it could be taken care of at all.
  7. begrudge
    be envious of or feel annoyance toward
    He even begrudged Buelo for his cheerfulness and pretending that everything was promising when it was clearly not.
  8. brooding
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    A few nights later at dinner, he put a hand on Max’s forehead. “Are you feeling well? You are so quiet and brooding, and you have not touched your food. What is bothering you?”
  9. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    Buelo looked skeptical. “All right, then. If you are sure...”
  10. tinge
    a pale or subdued color
    It was almost sunset. The sky had an eerie yellow tinge, and a bleak blanket of clouds hovered in the east.
  11. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    It was almost sunset. The sky had an eerie yellow tinge, and a bleak blanket of clouds hovered in the east.
  12. leaden
    made heavy or weighted down with weariness
    When lightning flashed and angry thunder roared, Lola jumped up next to him. Max made space and put an arm over her. He closed his eyes and fell into a leaden sleep.
  13. uproot
    pull up by or as if by the roots
    On the cliff top, La Reina Gigante had uprooted and slowly traipsed toward him.
  14. traipse
    walk or tramp about
    On the cliff top, La Reina Gigante had uprooted and slowly traipsed toward him.
  15. moor
    secure in or as if in a berth or dock
    But La Reina Gigante moored herself back onto the cliff—once again a tower, proud and unyielding.
  16. unyielding
    resistant to physical force or pressure
    But La Reina Gigante moored herself back onto the cliff—once again a tower, proud and unyielding.
  17. groggy
    stunned or confused and slow to react
    Still groggy, Max glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Two in the morning! He rubbed his eyes. Who would come to the cottage at this hour?
  18. cassock
    a black garment reaching down to the ankles
    Father Romero didn’t wear a cassock like the priest at Our Lady of Sorrows.
  19. fraught
    marked by distress
    His face twitched with worry. “This situation is fraught since we know she is being followed. Her life and yours would be in danger...."
  20. noble
    having high or elevated character
    Father Romero’s face softened and he smiled, his eyes crinkling. “Maximiliano, you are continuing a noble legacy. Helping someone in this way is humane and selfless.”
  21. legacy
    anything handed down by someone or something in the past
    Father Romero’s face softened and he smiled, his eyes crinkling. “Maximiliano, you are continuing a noble legacy. Helping someone in this way is humane and selfless.”
  22. humane
    marked by concern with the alleviation of suffering
    Father Romero’s face softened and he smiled, his eyes crinkling. “Maximiliano, you are continuing a noble legacy. Helping someone in this way is humane and selfless.”
  23. thicket
    a dense growth of bushes
    He moved his finger along the river, stopping at one of the small black stars. “I’d rest at the privet thicket tonight. I think she’ll be too tired for much more. And tomorrow night...” He skipped several stars and pointed to one farther north. “I think she could make it to the outcropping...."
  24. outcropping
    part of a rock formation that juts above surrounding land
    He moved his finger along the river, stopping at one of the small black stars. “I’d rest at the privet thicket tonight. I think she’ll be too tired for much more. And tomorrow night...” He skipped several stars and pointed to one farther north. “I think she could make it to the outcropping...."
  25. enormity
    vastness of size or extent
    "...And the guardabarrera is a guardian. Just like Papá, Father Romero, Buelo, Tío, my aunties, and now...”
    Max gulped at the enormity of the task before him. “...me.”
Created on Tue Jun 29 13:25:48 EDT 2021 (updated Fri Jul 16 15:44:32 EDT 2021)

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