Muffled: Chapters 6–15

by Jennifer Gennari
Ten-year-old Amelia learns to cope with her noise sensitivity while learning to play music and make new friends in fifth grade.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–15, Chapters 16–23
25 words 28 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    Ms. Min stands next to me and points to where I should be on the page, her foot tapping, making me flustered.
  2. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    I turn away and see Noah holding his trumpet, Jax laughing. Madge is watching us, with a strange, solemn expression.
  3. fixation
    an unhealthy preoccupation with something or someone
    “Now Amelia has a new fixation,” Mom fires back.
  4. bombard
    address continuously, as if with a barrage
    My earmuffs are the only thing saving me from all the everyday sounds bombarding my ears.
  5. shuttle
    travel back and forth between two points
    The numbers, neat and clear, shuttle back and forth between my earmuffs.
  6. groove
    a long narrow furrow cut by a natural process or a tool
    I run my hands along the wall’s rough grooves.
  7. sap
    a watery fluid that circulates in a plant
    I decide in a snap and reach for the branches, which are rough on my hands. Sap globs where needles grow.
  8. mulch
    small pieces of organic material spread on soil
    I climb down fast, drop to the crate by the wall, race across the mulch, through the doors opened by the janitor, who lets them slam behind me.
  9. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    Her face is stern. Even her wild hair droops.
  10. mute
    a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument
    When she blows on the mouthpiece, the sound comes out hushed, like a whisper in a library.
    “What is that?” I ask.
    “A mute,” she says, “for when the trombone goes soft in the background.”
  11. shrill
    having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
    It’s a round sound, a warm embrace, not shrill like a flute.
  12. brace
    prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
    Jax adjusts his baseball cap, and I brace myself as he opens the lobby door again, letting in cold and rain and noise until the door closes behind him.
  13. outwit
    beat through cleverness
    We play without talking, taking turns, trying to outwit each other.
  14. grate
    make resentful, irritated, or angry
    Their yelling grates. I press on my earmuffs and don’t speak.
  15. prelude
    something that introduces what follows
    Outside, I head straight for my tube tunnel, my footsteps on the ladder a prelude to peace and quiet.
  16. amplify
    increase the volume of
    Without my earmuffs, their voices are amplified.
  17. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    The bell rings. I cover my ears and trudge back inside.
  18. scuffle
    disorderly fighting
    I hear shoving, a scuffle.
  19. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    His breathing rasps as he adds it to my folder.
  20. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    I know Dad is trying to point out the bright side, but I glower. “Today was a disaster.”
  21. instinctive
    unthinking
    I touch my head instinctively, wishing I had my earmuffs on like an invisibility cloak.
  22. backfire
    emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion of fuel
    “Just a truck backfiring,” Mom murmurs, her hands gentle on my hair.
  23. assumption
    a hypothesis that is taken for granted
    “People make me so angry! Making assumptions about you and—”
  24. prod
    urge on; cause to act
    It’s like opening our lobby door, the cold air prodding me to move.
  25. forte
    to be played relatively loudly
    Then Ms. Parker signals with her hands for us to get louder, and all the fifth graders on all the instruments play forte so loudly, my ears hurt.
Created on Mon May 16 12:24:51 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Jun 10 10:37:33 EDT 2022)

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