Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody: Chapters 11–15

by Patrick Ness
Three middle school monitor lizard hall monitors — with the help of a blind hawk — are all that stand in the way of the pelican supervillain school bully from taking over the school. Amidst much humor, heroes emerge, and good has the final victory.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–25, Chapters 26–33
15 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. terrarium
    transparent container in which plants and animals are kept
    Lizard houses, as previously noted, were as much like terrariums as they could be without compromising privacy; they were one of the few animals who kept spare sheets of glass everywhere.
  2. redemption
    the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil
    Daniel gasped in surprise and pulled himself up to his full height — which still only barely reached Zeke’s shoulder. “Maybe that’s what Principal Wombat is doing! Maybe this is your redemption arc! Like in movies!”
    “Redemption arcs are for heroes,” Zeke said, “not Hall Monitors.”
  3. scorn
    open disrespect for a person or thing
    “NO, I BELIEVE YOU ASK OUT OF CURIOSITY RATHER THAN SCORN! I DO NOT HAVE A PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT I USE MY EARS AND I USE MY CLAWS AND I USE THE WAY THE AIR FEELS WHEN I FLAP MY WINGS AGAINST THINGS LIKE THIS PILLAR!”
  4. flurry
    a rapid active commotion
    Zeke reached to help Miel up, but he was a flurry of feathers and twisting wings. Before Zeke could do anything useful, the hawk was already back on his feet.
  5. downcast
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    “Is your friend okay?” Sharon asked Zeke.
    “I don’t know,” Zeke said, downcast. “I don’t even know if he’s my friend.”
  6. gnu
    large African antelope with horns and a long tufted tail
    Mr. MacPherson was their teacher, a wildebeest so old he told them he’d rather be known as a gnu, which he pronounced with the g — “ganoo” rather than just “noo.” No one was sure which part of any of that they were supposed to take seriously, and Mr. MacPherson seemed to enjoy how much they didn’t know.
  7. blubber
    an insulating layer of fat under the skin of some animals
    “It’s not made of water,” she said. “It’s made of ice. And it never rains. Or almost never.”
    “Correct,” Mr. MacPherson said.
    “It’s very, very cold,” persisted the seal.
    “Also correct—”
    “That’s why I have a layer of blubber.”
  8. dominate
    be in control
    It would be easy to laugh at the enthusiasm of seals — they were the most excitable animal, would talk your ear off, and would dominate any classroom if every teacher didn’t keep a herring-cookie bucket — but they were also one of the kindest animals Zeke knew.
  9. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    She was the very worst animal in the world. The cruelest, the proudest, the most superior and haughty.
  10. enthusiastic
    having or showing great excitement and interest
    Were all seals enthusiastic? Were all pandas super relaxed? Were all lions arrogant and above it all? Or if they were any of those things, were they those things not because they actually were, but because people expected them to be?
  11. arrogant
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance
    Were all seals enthusiastic? Were all pandas super relaxed? Were all lions arrogant and above it all? Or if they were any of those things, were they those things not because they actually were, but because people expected them to be?
  12. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    People often said a voice “dripped with disdain.” Ms. Pfister’s gushed it. “Does that wildebeest think I just magic up these supplies from the supply fairy?”
    Zeke blinked. “Do you?”
  13. negotiate
    discuss the terms of an arrangement
    Zeke...would be expected to negotiate.
    “We need at least eighty percent,” he said. This also wasn’t true, but it’s what Mr. MacPherson had told him to start with.
  14. waver
    be unsure or weak
    But Zeke was still looking into her eyes, and whatever she saw before her — a raging monitor lizard that could do anything, an annoying student who regardless should maybe not be toyed with, or perhaps there was kindness in there somewhere, beneath all the cruelty and smelly horse blankets — caused her to waver.
  15. bluff
    pretense that your position is stronger than it really is
    “Are you calling my bluff, little lizard?” she said.
Created on Wed Jul 16 21:27:41 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Aug 12 17:14:55 EDT 2025)

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