American Dirt Vocabulary

"Luka hardly registers the mild noise it makes as it flies past and lodges into the tiled wall behind him."

Lodges means

• to get stuck in something

• to camp somewhere

• to break something

• to pierce

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Before he has time to verify the source of that terrible clamor, the bathroom door swings open and Mani is there.

Clamor means

• frightening vision

• frightening noise

• loud noise

• bad smell

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Because these are the modern bogeymen in urban Mexico.

Bogeymen are

• a Bigfoot-type monster that supposedly inhabits the Sierra Madre de Chiapas

• imaginary monsters that children are afraid of

• warriors known for burning down villages

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

So although Luca never saw the least scrap of evidence of that risk from his parents, even though they demonstrated their courage impeccably before their son, he knew - he knew this day would come.

Impeccably means

• demonstrably

• bravely

• perfectly

• childishly

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Panic feels imminent but it doesn't descend.

imminent means

• above your head

• natural

• recently happened

• about to happen

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The officers in the yard avert their eyes from her, and she feels grateful for that, too.

• close

• turn away

• turn towards

• look up

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

She's aware that a deferential hush has fallen over the patio.

Deferential means

• excited

• respectful

• frightened

• quiet

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

In the kitchen, the raid continues: a sleeve of cookies, a tin of peanuts, two bags of chips, all surreptitiously stuffed into the bag.

Surreptitiously means

• sadly

• cleverly

• secretly

• illegally

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

She's aware that the words are leaving her mouth like tiny poisoned darts, as futile as they are angry.

Futile means

• useless

• small

• courageous

• sad

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

She peers through the window and sees Sebastian's backpack on the passenger-side floor, her own sunglasses glinting on the dashboard, Luka's yellow-and -blue sweatshirt sprawled on the backseat.

Sprawled means

• akimbo

• folded up

• spread out

• lying down

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4