Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher: Chapters 3-4

by Bruce Coville
Sixth grader Jeremy Thatcher learns how to hatch a dragon's egg. Now he has to learn how to take care of a growing dragon until it must return to its own world.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters One–Two, Chapters Three–Four, Chapters Five–Seven, Chapters Eight–Ten, Chapter Eleven–Epilogue
15 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hoax
    something intended to deceive
    His worries were balanced by the feeling that the whole thing was nothing but a hoax — a joke being played by a weird old man with a warped sense of humor.
  2. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    A tendril of gold light trickled through Jeremy's mind, making him shiver.
    What was that?
  3. talon
    a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
    Suddenly a single, sharp claw pierced the shell. The tiny talon sparkled like a jewel in the moonlight.
  4. fend
    try to manage without help
    Yet whatever was in the egg couldn't be very big. Somehow it didn't seem right to leave a baby out here to fend for itself.
  5. exotic
    strikingly strange or unusual
    Despite everything that had gone on, despite the magic shop and all its strangeness, in his heart he had never really believed that what was inside the egg was anything more exotic than a lizard.
  6. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    After the beast's eyes had been closed for several minutes, he put out a tentative finger to stroke its head.
  7. truce
    a state of peace agreed to between opponents
    Jeremy took advantage of the truce to study the beast.
  8. burnished
    made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing
    In the low light of the lamp its burnished scales shone like polished copper.
  9. hatchling
    a young bird or animal that has just emerged from an egg
    Sensing the little creature's genuine puzzlement, Jeremy's feelings shifted from awe to protectiveness. He put his hand forward again.
    This time the hatchling didn't move.
  10. foremost
    before anything else
    He had a lot to do before he could go off and leave it on its own all day. First and foremost, he had to figure out what to feed it.
  11. rummage
    search haphazardly
    Jeremy rummaged through the stack of drawings where he had hidden the instruction sheet.
  12. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    When fully grown, your dragon will be unimaginably powerful. But in the early stages of its development, it is very vulnerable. Like any infant, it must be cared for if it is to survive.
  13. at large
    in a general fashion
    To begin with, you must guard the fact of its existence. The world at large does not love dragons. Should your dragon be discovered, it will almost certainly be taken from you.
  14. revulsion
    intense aversion
    His revulsion was multiplied when he felt something wet on his bare foot and looked down to find that Grief was drooling on him.
  15. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    He had no idea how long he had been reading when his concentration was interrupted by a pang of hunger shooting through his stomach.
Created on Thu Sep 11 21:55:44 EDT 2025 (updated Sun Nov 09 12:32:51 EST 2025)

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