I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018: Chapters 9–19

by Lauren Tarshis
In this twentieth book of the historical fiction I Survived series, eleven-year-old Josh Wallace is visiting relatives who live in the middle of a forest, when terrified animals race by, warning of the flames moving toward them.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–19
35 words 29 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. resist
    withstand the force of something
    He told them how the fire shelters looked like very light sleeping bags or small thin tents. But they were made from fabric that could resist heat up to eight hundred degrees.
  2. instinct
    inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to stimuli
    Animals have a good instinct for where to go in a fire.
  3. deploy
    use or distribute systematically or strategically
    We went in the same direction as them and were able to get to some clear land in time to deploy our fire shelters, and...
  4. huddle
    crowd or draw together
    We all dropped down and huddled together.
  5. trickle
    run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
    Sweat trickled down Josh’s back—it was broiling in this little bathroom.
  6. stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    He staggered to a stop and dropped to the ground between two big pine trees.
  7. glitch
    a fault or defect in a computer program, system, or machine
    That whole story about a computer glitch at the bank—it was a lie.
  8. plead
    appeal or request earnestly
    “Josh,” she pleaded. “What’s going on? Are you okay? Are you mad at me? Did I do something?”
  9. distract
    draw someone's attention away from something
    “Did you hear King came back?” Holly said, definitely trying to distract him.
  10. bark
    tough protective covering of trees
    It was a small chunk of burned tree bark, glowing red.
  11. needle
    the leaf of a conifer such as a pine tree
    He and Holly stared as it landed on a pile of dried-up twigs and brown pine needles.
  12. spindly
    long, thin, and often weak or fragile
    Lots of the trees looked sick—too small and too skinny, bark peeling off, with branches spindly and bare.
  13. limb
    any of the main branches from the trunk or a bough of a tree
    And every inch of the ground was covered with fallen limbs, weedy-looking bushes, and dried-up pine needles.
  14. ignite
    cause to start burning
    He thought of how quickly that one little
 ember had ignited that patch of ground.
  15. bulge
    swell or protrude outwards
    Even from twenty feet away, Josh could see muscles bulging under the mountain lion’s short golden fur.
  16. vengeful
    disposed to take action in return for a perceived wrong
    The animal didn’t look ferocious or vengeful.
  17. tinder
    material that burns easily and is used for starting a fire
    But it wasn’t his or Holly’s flesh that the embers were really after. It was the tinder-dry trees, the fallen branches and piles of dried-up pine needles.
  18. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    A nightmare of sounds pummeled Josh’s ears.
  19. rabid
    infected by an acute viral disease of the nervous system
    He threw the bark on the forest floor. It crackled and hissed like a rabid rat.
  20. vein
    a blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart
    He could practically feel his blood boiling inside his veins.
  21. barrel
    move headlong at high speed
    Suddenly a deer came barreling from behind them. It launched itself over the bushes and hit the water.
  22. relief
    the feeling that comes when something unpleasant is removed
    But somehow it was not on fire.
    Josh almost cried with relief.
  23. hoist
    raise
    “Follow me,” Holly said, hoisting herself up onto the lowest branch.
  24. withstand
    resist or confront with resistance
    He thought of what Lucas had told them, that some trees were strong and shaded, holding enough moisture to withstand fires.
  25. suffocate
    struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake
    For all they knew, the fires on the other side were as bad—or worse. They’d be trapped in the middle of the river, suffocating in the smoke.
  26. muffled
    being or made softer or less loud or clear
    He let himself sink down, down, down, where the embers couldn’t reach him, where the fire’s roar was muffled.
  27. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    But Holly was strangely silent. Her head lolled.
  28. gush
    issue in a jet; come out in a jet; stream or spring forth
    Water gushed from her mouth.
  29. sputter
    spit up in an explosive manner
    She sputtered and gulped in the smoky air, coughing between each breath.
  30. churn
    be agitated
    The river began to churn. The hot wind swirled faster, whipping around them.
  31. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    “Josh,” Holly rasped into his ear.
  32. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    And then a vicious gust seemed to grab hold of the Huey, twisting it sideways. The helicopter lurched, and Josh squeezed his eyes shut.
  33. bellow
    shout loudly and without restraint
    “Hold tight!” she bellowed.
  34. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    A minute later she came in, hobbling on her crutches.
  35. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    He looked out the window, more intently now.
Created on Tue Oct 24 18:38:14 EDT 2023 (updated Wed Nov 01 13:13:39 EDT 2023)

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