The Midnight Children: Chapters 1–6

by Dan Gemeinhart
Twelve-year-old Ravani Foster is the only person in Slaughterville who sees seven children move into the house across the street and, wanting their friendship, he vows to protect their secret.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–17, Chapters 18–25, Chapters 26–35, Chapters 36–59
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. idle
    not in action or at work
    The windowless slaughterhouse that gave the town its name was still, its machinery quiet, its blades idle but waiting, the killing floor hosed clean and empty.
  2. carcass
    the dead body of an animal
    Just past the slaughterhouse, the truck clattered over the narrow bridge that crossed Carcass Creek.
  3. offal
    viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal
    It took the first left turn after crossing the bridge, its headlights flashing for a second on a tilting sign marking Offal Road.
  4. parasol
    a handheld collapsible source of shade
    One hand held a suitcase, just like the other children, but the other held something else: a white umbrella. The lacy, pretty kind that fancy ladies carried at fancy events like horse races and country picnics.
    “A parasol,” Ravani whispered, thinking that was the right word, and it was.
  5. lurch
    move abruptly
    The man closed the back of the truck and climbed into the cab, and then the truck lurched into motion and grumbled away into the night, leaving the seven soundless children behind.
  6. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    Mr. Croward’s dingy furniture was still there, but it looked dusty and unused.
  7. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    He glanced one more time at the parasol, then trudged reluctantly down off the porch.
  8. pneumatic
    relating to or using air or a similar gas
    The slaughterhouse growled and clanked with dark noises. Inside, the machinery of death whirred and cranked and hissed. Conveyor belts. Bolt guns. Pneumatic blades.
  9. emblazon
    decorate, adorn, or inscribe with a design
    On the other side of the building, the trucks stood ready, SKINISTER QUALITY MEATS emblazoned on their sides, pallets of white-paper-wrapped packages being loaded into them.
  10. pallet
    a portable platform for storing or moving goods
    On the other side of the building, the trucks stood ready, SKINISTER QUALITY MEATS emblazoned on their sides, pallets of white-paper-wrapped packages being loaded into them.
  11. grisly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    Packages stamped, Ravani knew, with grisly labels: GROUND CHUCK...SPARE RIBS...RUMP ROAST...BEEF TONGUE.
  12. pitiable
    deserving or inciting a feeling of sympathy and sorrow
    The sounds from inside got clearer: violent whooshes and gruesome ka-chunks and pitiable mooos that made his hands break out in greasy sweat.
  13. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    On the wall behind the desk was a large framed painting of a black-suited, thick-necked man who looked almost identical to Mr. Skinister except for the grim sternness in his eyes.
  14. kindle
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    He allowed a flicker of hope to kindle in his hammering heart.
  15. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    He went sprawling to the floor.
  16. hubbub
    loud confused noise from many sources
    As he came around the corner, he saw the slaughterhouse crew gathered on the benches in the little side room at the back. Bloody coveralls, and chewing mouths, and slouched shoulders, and a low hubbub of gruff talk.
  17. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    Ravani couldn’t meet his father’s eyes, so he looked at the big man’s scraped knuckles, his blood-splattered coveralls, the burly muscles of his arms, the solid square sturdiness of his size thirteen boots.
  18. salvation
    rescuing or protecting someone or something from harm
    The cow was trapped, in a sad place where monsters lurked, with seemingly no hope of salvation.
  19. graze
    feed as in a meadow or pasture
    He glanced back once and saw the cow, grazing in the long grass.
  20. churning
    (of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence
    There was the churning splash of someone charging through knee-deep water, then a hissed curse.
  21. gloaming
    the time of day immediately following sunset
    A few moments later, he was walking out his front door into the dim gloaming.
  22. devious
    turning away from a straight course
    A few jumps and dives, some clapping of hands, one stumble over a devious tree root, and then he had them: seven fireflies, glowing in the other jar.
  23. deliberate
    unhurried and with care and dignity
    The man was filing his fingernails. In smooth, deliberate movements. Everything the man did was very smooth and very deliberate.
  24. fugitive
    someone who is sought by law officers
    The Hunter always only chased one kind of prey: people. But that one kind of prey came in many flavors. Children, sometimes...runaways, kidnap victims. Grown-ups, too: fugitives, criminals.
  25. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to unusual activity or creativity
    “Painting day?” Ravani asked her.
    “Indeed.” She smiled at him. “I’m just waiting for inspiration. And a subject.”
  26. conspicuous
    without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
    He walked slow through the Croward yard, whistling conspicuously.
  27. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    There was no way in the wide, woeful world that Ravani Foster wanted to tell that strange, solemn girl the truth of his name.
  28. gravely
    in a serious or solemn manner
    "You better stay here for a minute, where he can't see you,” she said, still looking gravely into Ravani's eyes.
  29. peregrine
    a powerful falcon formerly used in falconry
    He was youngish, maybe twenty-five, with skin the same rich dark brown as the flight feathers of a peregrine falcon.
  30. mangy
    affected with a skin disease causing itching and hair loss
    Then he noticed the stray cat, thin and mangy, approaching the trap.
  31. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    The can careened through the air, off target from the moment it left his hand.
  32. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    He pedaled harder, heart hammering and lungs billowing.
  33. kestrel
    a small falcon that hovers in the air against the wind
    Once, Ravani had watched a sparrow being hunted by a kestrel.
  34. foliage
    the collective amount of leaves of one or more plants
    The moment he was past the end of the bridge's railing, he cut hard to the side, shooting off the road and into the branches and bushes of the forest's edge. He leaped from his bike and ran. Already he could hear Donnie thundering through the foliage behind him and Stevie calling after.
  35. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    Ravani's hopeful foot snagged on the hard truth of the gnarled root of a fir tree, and then he was flying—fast as a sparrow—and then he was landing, his face plowing through dirt and pine needles, his mouth filling with dirt, and then he felt the kestrel's talons sink into his back.
  36. hack
    cough spasmodically
    Donnie hacked, bringing up a mouthful of wet spit.
  37. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    "Now you’re making me mad,” he seethed.
  38. resigned
    accepting that something unpleasant cannot be changed
    Ravani screwed his eyes shut, resigned to a sour mouthful of Donnie Carter spit.
  39. scorn
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    “It’s ghosts,” he said.
    Donnie’s eyes squinted in scorn.
  40. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    Most of his face was defiant and angry, but his eyes blinked and darted and widened and narrowed.
Created on Sat Mar 16 16:52:10 EDT 2024 (updated Mon Mar 18 10:51:35 EDT 2024)

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