The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Spring: List 2

by Betty G. Birney
Young Eben, who lives in a small farming community, longs to experience the wonders of the world. But can he discover seven "wonders" in his own hometown, Sassafras Springs?

This list covers vocabulary from "Day Two: Jeb Joins In"–"Day Three: Disappointments."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
15 words 39 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    For an instant I felt a pang, picturing myself in Tokyo or Timbuktu, craving one of my aunt's peach pies.
  2. jade
    a semiprecious gemstone that is usually green
    She reached in again and pulled out a circle of small green beads. “And this is genuine jade from China, boys. Isn’t that a Wonder?”
  3. brooch
    a decorative pin
    Next Mrs. Saylor pulled out a brooch, with the outline of a lady in it, all carved in white. “And this is my grandmother’s hand-carved cameo.”
  4. genuine
    not fake or counterfeit
    He wore a genuine top hat, like Honest Abe Lincoln — he was president once, you know.
  5. uppity
    arrogant or self-important
    He didn’t work the land, just read all day long. “Uppity” Upton, they called him from the start.
  6. harebrained
    very foolish
    “Does this mean you’re turning down my deal?” he asked.
    The mayor stood up and looked at Upton eyeball to eyeball. “You’re dad burned right we’re turning you and your harebrained scheme down!”
  7. rain cats and dogs
    rain heavily
    Exactly forty-eight hours after the fires began, the clouds rolled in over Garner County. Those clouds opened up and poured down rain. It didn’t rain cats and dogs; it rained cows and horses…lions and tigers…boy, it rained elephants and giraffes!
    The Garner River began to rise. The seed corn began to sprout. They were celebrating in the kitchen of every farmhouse for fifty miles.
  8. caboodle
    any collection in its entirety
    There was dead silence until — boom! — a huge thunderbolt clattered overhead and the whole kit and caboodle made a beeline out of there.
  9. revenge
    action taken in return for an injury or offense
    He was an angry man, ready to get his revenge on Garner County.
  10. slog
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    They all slogged back up to the ridge, mad as wet hens … or maybe drenched roosters.
  11. prong
    a pointed projection
    Uppity argued until the mayor pointed the sharp prongs of his pitchfork at him.
  12. deputy
    someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff
    The sheriff’s deputies had already dropped the bookcase onto the wagon along with a trunk full of clothes.
  13. bedraggled
    limp, untidy, and soiled
    Somewhere in the night he’d flipped the bookcase over and floated the rest of the way lying inside, dozing safe as a chick in its nest. He was a muddy chick, though. Mighty bedraggled.
  14. hunker down
    crouch or squat into a low position
    Poor Jeb was hunkered down under a piece of canvas that covered the woodpile when Sal and I finally came outside.
    “Did you get any chocolates?” he called out.
    “Something better—a Wonder,” I shouted back.
  15. unperturbed
    free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
    “He could have been buried by a collapsing house.”
    “But he wasn’t,” said Pa, unperturbed as usual.
Created on Sun Aug 31 11:23:27 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Oct 14 11:45:28 EDT 2025)

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