The Turtle of Michigan: List 2

by Naomi Shihab Nye
In this sequel to The Turtle of Oman, third-grader Aref misses his grandfather, so he writes letters sharing details of his American life and urging Sidi to visit.

This list covers "Lonely Moon"–"No Bullies."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 2 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    Sometimes the moon over Michigan looked like a different moon, farther away, shrouded with a foggy scarf.
  2. converse
    carry on a discussion
    The two Arefs were dressed the same, like in a mirror. They were conversing with each other. That’s how he knew there were two.
    “They are mispronouncing my name,” one Aref said.
  3. elegant
    displaying effortless beauty and simplicity in execution
    In Oman there were palm trees and a few oases. There were sinkholes and springs and strings of elegant camels striding across the tops of shifting sand dunes.
  4. collage
    a paste-up of pieces to form an artistic image
    At arts camp we are making collages with old magazines, cutting them up, and also using markers and paint and stickers and newspapers and glitter, making self-portraits.
  5. intern
    someone who works for an expert to learn about a job
    “They go back to their homes in other places to see their families, or they study somewhere else, or become an intern, or they get jobs in different cities or countries, or maybe they go traveling with backpacks and sleeping bags.”
  6. inspire
    supply the idea for
    They took notes on their favorite paintings or sculptures, and then later that day made a piece inspired by something they saw.
  7. etch
    carve or cut a design or letters into
    He liked making small animals with large heads and rounded paperweights and a plate with a fish etched into its face.
  8. glaze
    a coating, as for ceramics or metal
    Painting the pots with brushes and glaze before they fired them was exciting.
  9. kiln
    a furnace for firing, burning, or drying porcelain or bricks
    They fired their pots in a kiln. Some kids wanted to blacken their pots in a barbeque pit outdoors to make them look ancient.
  10. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    A scientist of Oman has been videotaping them in the wild. There was a girl and a boy leopard slinking around the rocks.
  11. harness
    an arrangement of leather straps fitted to a draft animal
    Hugh held Honeybun’s harness and also tapped his long white cane.
  12. soberly
    in a serious or subdued manner
    Aref laughed, too, then he was quiet. He said soberly, “It would be very bad to live in a glass tank.”
  13. brisk
    quick and energetic
    Aref walked into King on the first day feeling brisk, tall, and energetic, as if he were a new sultan himself on the edge of a great adventure.
  14. famine
    a severe shortage of food resulting in starvation and death
    I am Ms. Sullivan. I am proud to have an Irish background; my long-ago ancestors came to the United States from Ireland during the potato famine.
  15. flushed
    reddened as if with blood from emotion or exertion
    She poked a blue pin into Oman on the map.
    "Why?" Aref asked, feeling flushed with pride.
  16. sanctuary
    a shelter from danger or hardship
    “Also, have you ever seen a tahr? It’s a wild goat. We have a sanctuary for them back home.”
  17. fragrance
    a distinctive odor that is pleasant
    The fragrances of a delicious dinner floated out to the sidewalk and into the parking lot. Cinnamon, cumin, grilled tomatoes, jasmine rice.
  18. frilly
    having decorative ruffles or similar ornamentation
    Hayan appeared in a white shirt, Layla in a frilly red dress.
  19. baklava
    dessert made of flaky pastry, nuts, and honey
    Aref’s mother was carrying a plate of baklava she had made at home, now that her fingers could layer dough and bake again, and Mrs. Haddad carried a bottle of strawberry lemonade.
  20. regal
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    Honeybun was sitting in a regal position beside a wooden rocking chair in the living room, staring at everyone calmly.
  21. saffron
    aromatic dried stigmas of a crocus flower, used as flavoring
    Hugh had made a Moroccan stew with many vegetables, like green beans and yellow butternut squash, and spices, including saffron.
  22. feta
    a white salty Greek cheese cured in brine
    There was a bowl of crumbled white feta cheese.
  23. colander
    bowl-shaped strainer used to wash or drain foods
    Aref was good at washing things. He stood on the short stool in front of the sink and used a colander.
  24. shrivel
    wither, as with a loss of moisture
    Now it was a shriveled apple mummy. He picked it up, stared at its shrunken shape, then tossed it outside under the bush beside their apartment to a waiting squirrel who was happy to get his breakfast delivered.
  25. arboretum
    a facility where trees and shrubs are cultivated
    The arboretum trail was located by the Huron River.
  26. realm
    a domain in which something is dominant
    When you walked by water, you felt connected to other places that the same water touched, other realms where water was flowing.
  27. microbe
    a minute life form, especially one that causes disease
    The water was bigger than you were. It was a system, whole worlds of fish and creatures, water plants and microbes swirling and interacting.
  28. delicate
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
    Mom was still occasionally holding her hand gently, as if it were a delicate moth wing, but her fingers could point.
  29. brochure
    a small booklet with information about a product or service
    Aref knew, from his “Know Your Michigan Turtles” brochure, that Michigan’s state reptile was the painted turtle.
  30. content
    satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
    The little turtles and bigger turtles seemed so content together paddling among the muddy reeds and sticks by the side of the bank, swimming up and out and back in, dipping into the river reeds and grasses, in a graceful routine.
  31. skedaddle
    run away, as if in a panic
    Aref knelt down. The turtles skedaddled farther off into the water.
  32. principle
    a rule or standard especially of good behavior
    Their teachers trained them in the serious but simple principles of RECONCILIATION, like getting along, and RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, like making things a little more fair, and COMPROMISE, like sharing.
  33. reconciliation
    the reestablishment of cordial relations
    Their teachers trained them in the serious but simple principles of RECONCILIATION, like getting along, and RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, like making things a little more fair, and COMPROMISE, like sharing.
  34. compromise
    an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
    Their teachers trained them in the serious but simple principles of RECONCILIATION, like getting along, and RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, like making things a little more fair, and COMPROMISE, like sharing.
  35. mediator
    a negotiator who acts as a link between parties
    “Tell us what happened,” they said seriously to the people who had been fighting. “One person talks, then the other person. No interrupting. Everyone has to listen,” the mediators instructed.
Created on Tue Jul 30 09:56:45 EDT 2024 (updated Wed Jul 31 13:05:26 EDT 2024)

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