South of Somewhere: List 5: Basement Meeting–One Month Later

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. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Andre is clearly distraught.
  2. systematically
    in a consistent manner
    We create a spreadsheet of everyone Mom knows in that zip code, and then we systematically go down the list until we find her....
  3. rave
    praise enthusiastically
    “Lisa-Marie Anne raves about the unlimited breadsticks, and I’ve never been. So… uh…” He clears his throat.
  4. feign
    make believe with the intent to deceive
    “Well, he wouldn’t be there with Mom. So he could feign innocence,” Camille says.
  5. peppy
    marked by lively action or high spirits
    It’s an old Katy Perry song that’s peppy in an exhausting way.
  6. unkempt
    not neatly combed
    His bright orange beard is unkempt and hangs halfway down his chest.
  7. gauzy
    so thin as to transmit light
    Mom stares over my head at the gauzy window curtains.
  8. fanfare
    a gaudy outward display
    I expected more fanfare when we arrived.
  9. abashed
    feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious
    Mom pockets the cash again, looking abashed at Andre’s rejection, and I foolishly feel a sliver of hope that she’s beginning to understand our situation.
  10. bolster
    support and strengthen
    “My reputation skyrocketed. I realized I could do more than just bolster my numbers at the firm. I could provide you kids with the best of everything. And I had finally earned the respect of the men in my field.”
  11. petty
    small and of little importance
    “Oh, that’s just petty drama,” Mom says.
  12. evade
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    The disgraced businesswoman has been evading law enforcement for over a month now, but she was found today in a building just ten minutes from her home.
  13. flourish
    a showy gesture
    Camille hands me the watch case and I present it to Dad with a flourish.
  14. smarmy
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
    Even through the blur, I recognize the smarmy anchor who first reported the news about Mom.
  15. rendition
    a performance of a musical composition or a dramatic role
    Lily may be the least helpful helper in the family, but she entertains me with screamed renditions of Disney songs and informs me when she thinks my T-shirts are ugly.
Created on Tue Nov 04 03:27:13 EST 2025 (updated Tue Dec 23 13:31:26 EST 2025)

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