South of Somewhere: List 3: Triple Trouble–The Third of July

by Kalena Miller
Twelve-year-old Mavis Callahan, her father, and her siblings must adjust to life in the small town of Somewhere, Illinois, after her mother goes on the run following an embezzlement charge.

Here are links to our lists for the book:
List 1: Astor Street–Horror Scopes
List 2: Embezzlement–Door to Door
List 3: Triple Trouble–The Third of July
List 4: The Interrogation–The Marching Band
List 5: Basement Meeting–One Month Later
15 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. corral
    collect or gather
    I corral the boys into the living room while Emma tosses paper plates and plastic forks into the garbage.
  2. flit
    move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
    Cartoon snowflakes flit across the screen, and both boys groan.
  3. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    Despite their complaints, the twins are now transfixed by the ice cutters singing on the TV, so I tiptoe upstairs.
  4. situate
    put something somewhere firmly
    I hand her the cup of water and try to situate the washcloth on her forehead, but she pushes it away.
  5. flail
    thrash about
    My brain flails for an excuse, but Dad doesn’t seem fazed.
  6. dingy
    gloomy or depressing
    Then, after seeing the run-down buildings and strip malls in Somewhere, I expected a dingy motel, like a place where long-haul truckers would stay.
  7. snide
    expressive of contempt
    I’m trying super hard to focus on the good things, not Skye and Madi’s snide comments.
  8. matter-of-fact
    not fanciful or imaginative
    Camille’s matter-of-fact declaration halts the sympathy train with a thud.
  9. wail
    a cry of sorrow and grief
    Then she screams, an angry wail that echoes off every appliance in the room.
  10. dubious
    not convinced
    Aunt Melissa gives me a dubious look but returns to her walnuts.
  11. garbled
    lacking orderly continuity
    Lily’s garbled words sound more like an alien language than anything resembling French.
  12. lurch
    move haltingly and unsteadily
    I duck behind a column and watch as the blue-and-white vehicle lurches its way along the curb.
  13. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    With a decent therapist, I will eventually recover from the whole ordeal with my mother.
  14. recount
    narrate or give a detailed account of
    Dad and Aunt Melissa launch into a lively discussion about salmon spawning, and then they’re recounting some story about a lake they visited when they were kids.
  15. insistent
    demanding attention
    My voice is louder, more insistent.
Created on Tue Nov 04 03:26:37 EST 2025 (updated Tue Dec 23 13:21:26 EST 2025)

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