How to Disappear Completely: Chapters 1–13

by Ali Standish
Following the death of her grandmother, twelve-year old Emma Talbot discovers the first white spots on her skin. What follows is Emma's journey to understanding her diagnosis of vitiligo while dealing with puzzles left behind by Gram.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–13, Chapters 14–34, Chapters 35–51
30 words 55 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. beeline
    the most direct route
    Gloria and Ruth—Gram’s best friends since childhood—make a beeline for me as soon as they walk in the door.
  2. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
    We run down the passage and turn onto High Street across from the church, then veer left.
  3. dapple
    color with streaks or blotches of different shades
    An enormous sycamore tree stands higher than all the rest, dappling the valley floor with the shade of its leaves and making the whole glade feel like a secret, round room.
  4. dread
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    They had started to say that magic was for babies. I didn’t want to be a baby. But not believing in magic? The idea filled me with dread.
  5. lichen
    a plant occurring in crusty patches on tree trunks or rocks
    Instead, I get up from my bed of moss and climb to Throne Rock, two big boulders covered in yellow lichen that grow together in the shape of—you guessed it—a throne.
  6. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    “Charmed folk,” I call, “citizens of the Spinney, I ask you to gather around me now in honor of this most solemn occasion!”
  7. knickknack
    a small, inexpensive decorative object
    Mom designs houses that have “clean lines” and “open floor plans.” Gram’s cottage, with its comfy, over stuffed couches and tabletops cluttered with knickknacks, is probably her worst nightmare.
  8. banshee
    a female spirit who wails to warn of impending death
    In the blackness of the eternal night, all the wickedest creatures—the trolls and banshees and ogres—have driven the good creatures into hiding.
  9. muse
    the source of an artist's inspiration
    Now, I reach over and pick the book up. Then I turn to the beginning, careful not to damage the old pages. On the title page, there’s an inscription from my grandpa, who must have bought the book for Gram. For my muse and best friend. Below these words is Grandpa’s illegible signature.
  10. illegible
    unable to be read
    Now, I reach over and pick the book up. Then I turn to the beginning, careful not to damage the old pages. On the title page, there’s an inscription from my grandpa, who must have bought the book for Gram. For my muse and best friend.
    Below these words is Grandpa’s illegible signature.
  11. inglorious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
    The adventure all began with a glass of milk being overturned by an elbow and Jack and Sarah being turned out from the house for the morning in punishment. An inglorious way to begin an adventure, perhaps, but then we can't control when or how adventure may find us.
  12. lull
    make calm or still
    I hear the story in Gram’s voice, and after a while, she lulls me to sleep.
  13. teeter
    move unsteadily, with a rocking motion
    Finally, when I have a tower of books so high I can’t add even one more, and I’m actually a little worried Mom might have had a heart attack, I pick up my teetering stack and waddle toward the front of the shop.
  14. bramble
    any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
    It seems like she usually comes out to pick apples from the orchard or wild blackberries from the brambles that grow along the edges of the meadow. It must have been apples the first time I saw her, though, because I’ve always thought of her as the Apple Lady.
  15. flit
    move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
    But no matter how long I sit there, no matter how quiet I am (Gram always told me that the charmed folk are terrified of loud noises), no one comes. Not a single fairy flitting over my head or a gnome out collecting acorns.
  16. elocution
    an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice
    “And we’ll be doing lots of reader’s theater,” Ms. Singh is saying. “So brush up on your elocution!”
  17. acrostic
    verse in which the first letter in each line forms a message
    She assigns us to write an acrostic of our names, which is a poem where, for each letter of your name, you describe yourself with a word or phrase that starts with that letter. Then we have to share.
  18. eloquent
    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
    After me goes Edie. She clears her throat and takes a deep breath, like she’s about to read some great work of art.
    “E: Eloquent
    D: Determined
    I: Intelligent
    E: Entertaining”
    I roll my eyes.
  19. egotistical
    having an inflated idea of one's own importance
    While the rest of the class shares their acrostics, I write a new one in the margin of my notebook, shielding it with my arm so no one can see.
    E: Egotistical
    D: Disagreeable
    I: Irritating
    E: Evil
  20. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    She stares wistfully in the direction of the graveyard as the church bells ring, five minutes late, like usual.
  21. incantation
    a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
    Until now, I haven’t actually said the word out loud yet. Maybe I’m worried that if I say it, I’ll make it real. Like an incantation.
  22. vitiligo
    skin condition characterized by patches of unpigmented skin
    But maybe the opposite will happen. Maybe it’s like in Rumpelstiltskin. Maybe if I say the name, I’ll take away its power, and I won’t feel so scared about it anymore. “It’s called vitiligo,” I say.
  23. thicket
    a dense growth of bushes
    As she grew older, Ivy was allowed to roam the great wood by herself. She delighted in its secret thickets and in weaving between the trees as fast as her feet would carry her.
  24. bleary
    tired to the point of exhaustion
    Blearily, she looked around until she saw something that made her blood run cold as snow. Not a stone's throw away, there was a silent figure gliding across the forest floor.
  25. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    “Oh, no!” Fina says, eyebrows furrowing behind her glasses. “I’m sorry, Emma. That majorly sucks. My grandfather—Abuelito—died a few years ago, and it was awful. I still miss him. Sorry, that probably doesn’t make you feel any better.”
  26. minion
    a servile or fawning dependent
    It’s funny how much different school is when you have a friend. Wednesday goes by really fast. And I don’t mind it that much when I hear Edie and the Graces (both of her minions are named Grace, if you can believe it) whispering my name and laughing as I pass them in the hall.
  27. sabbatical
    a leave usually taken every seventh year
    I learn that Fina’s mom got a job teaching history at Hampstead College, which is why they moved. Her dad is a professor, too, but he’s on something called sabbatical.
  28. coincidental
    occurring or operating at the same time
    “It’s not funny!” I insist. “She’s probably plotting to murder me or something.”
    Okay, maybe I was joking about the murder, but Edie does bump into me extra hard during a basketball game in gym later that day. Coincidentally, she manages to do it right when the coach is glancing down at her phone.
  29. infringement
    an act that disregards an agreement or a right
    She bangs her fist against the table again. “Our next meeting shall commence tomorrow, lunchtime. The topic: Mr. Owens giving detention out just for talking in math class. It’s a total infringement on our First Amendment rights!”
  30. berserk
    frenzied as if possessed by a demon
    A nervous giggle escapes my lips as I imagine Mom’s face when the doctor told her she had a fungus. She probably went berserk. In case you haven’t noticed, Mom is not really the fungus type.
Created on Wed Jun 01 19:39:22 EDT 2022 (updated Wed Jun 29 12:04:50 EDT 2022)

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