Grounded: Chapters 1–8

by Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, S.K. Ali
Stuck at an airport during a thunderstorm, four tweens (Taufeek Stiles, Hanna Chen, Sami Iqbal, and Nora Najjar) recognize each other from the Muslims of North America conference and bond over the search for a lost sister and cat.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–18, Chapters 19–35, Chapter 36–Epilogue
40 words 43 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lavish
    characterized by extravagance and profusion
    My family even got to visit his extra- lavish mansion with marble and gold floors once, and that’s one funny story—
  2. contraption
    a small mechanical device or tool
    Inside that big glass box is a contraption of balls ping-ponging and spiraling around tracks and gears in chain reaction after chain reaction.
  3. placard
    a sign posted in a public place
    I read the placard on the front: RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE.
  4. impact
    the striking of one body against another
    One ball hits the others. Clack! And the others hit back. Clack...clack, clack...clack, every ball has an impact.
  5. flashy
    tastelessly showy
    I flat-foot shuffle toward shops with flashy electronics that would grab a four-year-old.
  6. drone
    talk in a monotonous voice
    While the fancy, boring speech droned on, rhymes filled my ears.
  7. vicinity
    a surrounding or nearby region
    I believe everyone has a life purpose and that this is mine: TO PROTECT AND SAVE ANY AND EVERY ANIMAL IN MY VICINITY BY ANY AND EVERY MEANS NECESSARY.
  8. forum
    a medium, especially a website, for discussion of ideas and issues
    I found out about Snickerdoodle through the animal-rights forum I belong to, Animal Allies. We are a global forum of people of all ages who care about the well-being of all beings, not just humans.
  9. vital
    urgently needed; absolutely necessary
    But Dad has a Facebook account, and before he banned me from it by changing his password, I used his account to message the Hoffman family on their page, SNICKERDOODLE IS MISSING: PLEASE HELP, to gather vital information. Like that Snickerdoodle loves Meow Mix salmon treats.
  10. practically
    almost; nearly
    I practically ignored Dad the entire weekend, answering in short one-word or few-words sentences to any question he’d asked.
  11. hence
    from that fact or reason or as a result
    While Dad knew all about my interest in Snickerdoodle, he’d told me he didn’t want me “wandering around the airport” so close to our departure time. Hence, the necessary secrecy.
  12. matrimonial
    of or relating to the state of marriage
    Dad had signed up for the MONA matrimonial match dinner on Friday at the conference. And the MONA matrimonial speed match event on Saturday. And also the MONA matrimonial match database.
    At first I didn’t know what all that meant. But then I looked up “matrimonial” and learned it meant he wanted to get married again.
  13. tarmac
    a paved road or surface, especially at an airport
    I can’t stop myself from continuously peering back at the tarmac. Our flight takes off soon, but the plane is nowhere to be found.
  14. strew
    spread by scattering
    I carefully avoid outstretched legs and the luggage strewn in the aisles as I make my way toward the bright-blue electronic board listing departure times.
  15. jostle
    make one's way by pushing or shoving
    I jostle for a spot among the other travelers crowded around the monitor and look up at the departure times.
  16. starch
    stiffen textile fabrics in laundering
    My outfit is pressed and starched and hanging behind my bedroom door.
  17. collected
    in full control of your faculties
    Some people really do stay cool, calm, and collected, even when their little sister leaps onto the stage.
  18. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    Even the little girl, who couldn’t have been more than five, was cooler than I could ever be. Although, as I see him closer up, he looks a little flustered right now.
  19. douse
    wet thoroughly
    They want my help? The kid who was on his way to douse his face in the sink to fend off a meltdown?
  20. traumatize
    inflict an emotional wound or shock upon
    I lost track of my parents at Disney World when I was five, and I still feel slightly traumatized. Ruqi must be terrified!
  21. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    My cheeks flush. I’m nervous to say no. But I’m equally nervous to say yes.
  22. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    When I look at Feek and Hanna discussing the next place they’ll search, I can see Feek’s worry waft over him like swirls of frost.
  23. convention
    a large formal assembly
    She was giving the keynote address at some Islamic convention, and she said it would be fun for us to have some quality time together.
  24. halal
    conforming to dietary laws
    We don’t practice Islam like the people at MONA, praying and fasting, eating halal meat.
  25. hijab
    a headscarf worn by Muslim women
    At every gate, I see Muslim families: moms in hijab, teenage daughters in hijab, some dads wearing caps.
  26. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    When I finally step into the food court, in a super-cute knee-length turquoise summer dress with a subtle ruffle on the hem, I feel more like myself.
  27. intern
    someone who works for an expert to learn about a job
    Even my mom got a laugh when she said, “There goes my future intern.”
  28. zest
    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
    “When cats go missing from their families for too long, they lose their zest for play. They seek their most basic needs for survival: food and shelter. Ruqi must be in search of a food source.”
  29. petty
    preoccupied with unimportant matters in a spiteful way
    I’m about to interrupt and say, “Hey, I found your sister trying to order this Cinna-Yum that I actually bought for her,” because I can’t deal with this Feek kid’s responsible-older-brother act. But I worry it will sound petty to be talking about who bought whom a Cinna-Yum.
  30. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    They’re surprised I know about Ruqi climbing onstage. They must have seen my outfit and assumed I wasn’t at MONA.
  31. acknowledge
    express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for
    Feek doesn’t acknowledge that I saved him. Instead, he says, “Hey, I was about to find her myself. Hanna here is a professional.”
  32. exclusive
    admitting or accepting only a particular group
    Congresswoman Najjar can write a law that says traveling animals must have a separate part of the airport to prepare for their flights so they don’t get lost. Like a special, exclusive lounge.
  33. estimation
    a judgment of the qualities of something or somebody
    From my estimation, Feek is the type who wouldn’t want the entire food court paying attention to us.
  34. testimonial
    praise of a person or thing as worthy or desirable
    “You helped me find Ruqi. So yeah, for sure.”
    A client testimonial.
  35. appeal
    request earnestly; ask for aid or protection
    I stare at Sami first, afraid to turn with appealing eyes to the most important asset: Congresswoman Najjar’s daughter.
  36. asset
    a useful or valuable quality
    I stare at Sami first, afraid to turn with appealing eyes to the most important asset: Congresswoman Najjar’s daughter.
  37. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    But unlike me, who takes that kind of look as my cue to scurry away, Hanna either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.
  38. retort
    answer back
    “They’re doing everything they can, but it hasn’t worked.”
    “And you’re going to figure it out?” Nora retorts.
  39. terminal
    station where vehicles load or unload passengers or goods
    The loudspeakers come to staticky life across the terminal. “Attention all passengers,” the voice says robotically.
  40. inclement
    severe, of weather
    “Due to inclement weather, all flights are grounded until further notice. We repeat, all flights are grounded until further notice.”
Created on Fri Aug 02 09:42:39 EDT 2024 (updated Fri Aug 02 16:11:02 EDT 2024)

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