On the Bright Side: Chapters 1-6

by Anna Sortino
Deaf teenager Ellie meets Jackson at the mainstream school she's been forced into after her boarding school was shut down, but while Jackson helps her adjust, he faces an unexpected and jarring medical problem.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-6, Chapters 7-16, Chapters 17-28, Chapters 29-39, Chapters 40-52
15 words 142 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    Cody is stoic. “I guess we were almost done here anyway.”
  2. enclave
    an enclosed territory that is culturally distinct
    It’s a Deaf enclave…Will it still be once BSD is shut down?
  3. optimism
    the hopeful feeling that all is going to turn out well
    I’m usually quick to bring the optimism, but the words are hard to find.
  4. engulf
    flow over or cover completely
    What started as a strange vibration at the bottom of my feet quickly spread to my toes and up my calves until my entire legs were engulfed in some indescribable tingly feeling.
  5. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    “I can walk by myself.”
    But my gait is slow and meandering, and I reach to steady myself against the wall a few more times than I’d care to admit.
  6. contorted
    twisted, especially as in pain or struggle
    There’s obvious relief when she sees no blood or terribly contorted body parts.
  7. explicitly
    in a clearly expressed manner
    Though he’s never explicitly voiced it, I can tell my dad thinks soccer players tend to act fragile, feigning injury to get sympathy from referees.
  8. feign
    make believe with the intent to deceive
    Though he’s never explicitly voiced it, I can tell my dad thinks soccer players tend to act fragile, feigning injury to get sympathy from referees.
  9. scour
    examine minutely
    Like I’m in a trance, I hold tight to my phone, scouring social media for any hint of what Cody is up to tonight.
  10. kindred
    similar in quality or character
    I lock eyes with another poor lost soul—obviously a freshman—yet she’s immediately claimed by a small gaggle of other fourteen-year-olds, all eager to find kindred spirits in their new environment.
  11. nuance
    a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
    I didn’t choose to be here, but Brandview wasn’t perfect, either. Yet the interpreter fails to convey this nuance. I watch Pamela’s lips as she says, “You know, our school was falling apart.”
  12. animosity
    a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility
    I hate this animosity and don’t know how to make things right with the team.
  13. bolster
    support and strengthen
    My parents think this will bolster my college applications so I can get in somewhere like Duke, Notre Dame, or their alma mater, the University of Dayton.
  14. stilted
    stiff and strained; lacking natural ease
    They turn to me and sign, slowly and stilted, “You’re. Really. Fast.”
  15. unkempt
    not neatly combed
    He’s tall and lanky—tan from whatever sport he plays in the sun—with dark eyes and unkempt light brown hair.
Created on Tue Aug 05 08:45:44 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Aug 27 17:10:30 EDT 2025)

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