Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone:
1. Frayed
Definition: Something (rope, fabric or cord) worn out or unravelled at the end.
2. Trowel
Definition: A small handheld tool with a flat, pointed blade, used to apply and spread mortar or plaster.
3. Furling
Definition: Equipment for rolling up sails securely and neatly around their yards or booms.
4. Alibis
Definition: A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place.
5. Feeble
Definition: Lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness.
6. Ajar
Definition: A door or other opening slightly opened.
7. Leering
Definition: A look or gaze in a unpleasant way.
8. Timidly
Definition: Showing a lack of courage or confidence, easily frightened.
9. Dappled
Definition: Something marked with spots or rounded patches.
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman:
1. Therapeutic
Definition: Relating to or involved in therapy.
2. Serendipity
Definition: Good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries.
3. Tremolo
Definition: Vocal vibrato especially an excessive or poorly controlled one.
4. Squatting
Definition: Living on land that does not belong to you. This is a problem in shanty towns near major cities in developing countries.
5. Teeter
Definition: Move unsteadily, with a rocking motion.
6. Solitary
Definition: One who lives in solitude.
7. Reminiscences
Definition: Remembering past experiences.
8. Proposition
Definition: A task to be dealt with.
9. Oblige
Definition: Provide a service or favour for someone.
10. Restrained
Definition: Cool and formal in manner.
Once By Morris Gleitzman:
1. Indignantly
Definition: Feeling, characterised by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive or insulting
2. Tassel
Definition: A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric decoration found all across the world.
3. Ghetto
Definition: A part of a city, especially a slum area, occupied by a minority group or groups.
4. Swigging
Definition: An amount of liquid, especially liquor, taken in one swallow.
The Voice on The Radio By Caroline B. Cooney:
1. Yearned
Definition: Have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from.
2. Thrummed
Definition: Make a continuous rhythmic humming sound.
3. Conceited
Definition: Excessively proud of oneself.
4. Provocative
Definition: Causing anger or another strong reaction.
5. Circumnavigate
Definition: Sail all the way around (mostly the world).
6. Siphoned
Definition: A tube bent into legs of unequal length, for use in taking a liquid from one container into another.
7. Precarious
Definition: Not securely held or in position (likely to fall or collapse).
8. Contempt
Definition: The feeling that a person or a thing is worthless.
9. Ante
Definition: A stake put up by a player in poker or brag before receiving cards.
10. Resented
Definition: Feel bitterness at something.
3. Facet
4. Myriad
5. Proffer
6. Proverbial
7. Deign
8. Dubious
9. Zeal
10. Aura
Go Big by Cory Cotton
1. Niche
Definition: A comfortable or suitable position in life or employment.
2.Mediocre
Definition: Of only average quality; not very good.
3. Leveraged
Definition: Use (something) to maximum advantage.
Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russel:
1. Kowtow
Definition: To bow with the head on the ground as a sign of great respect.
2. Kumquat
Definition: Small fruit like a miniature orange.
3. Kwun Ym
Definition: Goddess of mercy.
4. Yee Wu
Definition: An instrument with two strings played with a bow like a violin.
100 Headlines that Changed the World by James Maloney:
1. Entrepreneurial
Definition: Characterised by the taking of financial risks in the hope of profit; enterprising.
2. Crude
Definition: In a natural or raw state; not yet processed or refined.
3. Eminent
Definition: (Of a person) famous and respected within a particular sphere.
4. Corroborated
Definition: Confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
5. Caricature
Definition: A picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect.
6. Embryo
Definition: An unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development.
7. Expenditure
Definition: The action of spending funds.
How They Got into Harvard by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson:
1. Valedictorian
Definition: (In North America) a student who delivers the valedictory at a graduation ceremony.
Definition: The branch of medicine and biology concerned with immunity.
3. Alumnus
Definition: A male former pupil or student of a particular school, college, or university.
4. Extemporary
Definition: Spoken or done without preparation.
5. Pervasive
Definition: (Especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people.
6. Epidemiological
Definition: Science that studies the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green:
1. Contort
Definition: To twist or bend out of shape.
2. Diatribe
Definition: A bitter and prolonged verbal attack.
3. Obelisk
Definition: A tall, four-sided pillar that is pointed on top.
4. Dissonant
Definition: Not in harmony; disagreeing, at odds.
5. Indubitably
Definition: Without a doubt.
6. Apathy
Definition: A lack of feeling, emotion, or interest.
7. Dichotomy
Definition: A division into two parts.
8. Indelible
Definition: Cannot be removed, washed away or erased.
Short by Kevin Crossley- Holland
1. Foal
Definition: A young horse or related animal.
2. Poon
Definition: A simple or foolish person.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
1. Entrails
Definition: A person’s or animal’s intestines or internal organs, especially when removed or exposed.
2. Supple
Definition: Bending and moving easily and gracefully; flexible.
3. Forage
Definition: (Of a person or animal) search widely for food or provisions.
4. Deterrent
Definition: A thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.
5. Rabid
Definition: Having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of or belief in something.
6. Ration
Definition: A fixed amount of a commodity officially allowed to each person during a time of shortage, as in wartime.
7. Sentimental
Definition: Of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick:
1. Decrepit
Definition: Worn out or ruined because of age or neglect.
2. Sole
Definition: The undersurface of a tool or implement such as a plane or the head of a golf club.
3. Apprentice
Definition: A person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period at low wages.
4. Lull
Definition: Calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements.
5. Deftly
Definition: Able to do something quickly and accurately
The Maze Runner by James Dashner:
1. Bombard
Definition: Attack (a place or person) continuously with bombs, shells, or other missiles.
2. Cascade
Definition: A small waterfall, typically one of several that fall in stages down a steep rocky slope.
3. Devoid
Definition: Entirely lacking or free from.
4. Dilapidated
Definition: (Of a building or object) in a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect.
5. Gnarled
Definition: Knobbly, rough, and twisted, especially with age.a
6. Malicious
Definition: Characterised by malice; intending or intended to do harm.
Now by Morris Gleitzman:
1. Trilogy
Definition: A group of three related novels, plays, films, etc.
2. Naive
Definition: (Of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement.
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson:
1. Stolid
Definition: Calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation.
2. Bulbous
Definition: Fat, round, or bulging.
3. Sullen
Definition: Bad-tempered and sulky.
4. Snub
Definition: Rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully.
5. Rapt
Definition: Completely fascinated or absorbed by what one is seeing or hearing.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan:
1. Incinerate
Definition: Destroy (something, especially waste material) by burning.
2. Kleptomaniac
Definition: The inability to refrain from the urge to steal items and is done for reasons other than personal use or financial gain.
3. Pulverize
Definition: Reduce to fine particles.
4. Douse
Definition:Pour a liquid over; drench.
5. Aeon
Definition: An indefinite and very long period of time.
6. Wispy
Definition: (Of hair, threads, smoke, etc.) fine; feathery.
7. Elate
Definition: Make (someone) ecstatically happy.
Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan:
1. Asbestos
Definition: A highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in brake linings and in fire-resistant and insulating materials.
2. Brethren
Definition: Archaic plural of brother.
3. Decipher
Definition: Convert (a text written in code, or a coded signal) into normal language.
4. Eclair
Definition: A long, thin individual cake of choux pastry filled with cream and topped with chocolate icing.
5. Falsetto
Definition: A method of voice production used by male singers, especially tenors, to sing notes higher than their normal range.
6. Caduceus
Definition: An ancient Greek or Roman herald’s wand, typically one with two serpents twined round it, carried by the messenger god Hermes or Mercury.
The Edge by Alan Gibbons
1. Altercation
Definition: A noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public.
2. Arson
Definition: The criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property.
3. Psychotic
Definition: Relating to, denoting, or suffering from a psychosis.
4. Retaliation
Definition: The action of returning a military attack; counter-attack.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
1. Karachi
Definition: A gray or brown woven shawl worn by Afghan boys and men.
2. Toshak
Definition: A narrow mattress used as a bed or couch.
3. Patshu
Definition: One of the two main languages spoken in Afghanistan.
4. Shalwar kameez
Definition: Long, loose shirt and trousers worn by both men and women.
5. Pakul
Definition: A gray or brown woven shawl worn by Afghan boys and men.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
1. Fathom
Definition: A unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 metres), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water.
2. Furl
Definition: Roll or fold up (something) neatly and securely.
3. Phosphorescence
Definition: Light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat.
4. Gaff
Definition: A stick with a hook or barbed spear, for landing large fish.
5. Benevolent
Definition: Well meaning and kindly.
6. Relic
Definition: An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical interest.
7. Carapace
Definition: The hard upper shell of a tortoise, crustacean, or arachnid.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
1. Overcompensating
Definition: Take excessive measures in attempting to correct or make amends for an error, weakness, or problem.
2. Incredulous
Definition: (Of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something.
3. Connotation
Definition: An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning.
4. Reprimand
Definition: A formal expression of disapproval.
5. Interrogate
Definition: Ask questions of (someone) closely, aggressively, or formally.
6. Reamed
Definition: Widen (a hole) with a special tool.
7. Grotesque
Definition: Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
1. Pauper
Definition: A very poor person.
2. Haughty
Definition: Arrogantly superior and disdainful.
3. Destitute
Definition: Extremely poor and lacking the means to provide for oneself.
4. Impertinence
Definition: Lack of respect; rudeness.
5. Diminutive
Definition: Extremely or unusually small.
6. Countenance
Definition: A person’s face or facial expression.
7. Inseparable
Definition: Unable to be separated or treated separately.
Double-Dare to be Scared by Robert D. San Souci
1. Trifled
Definition: Treat without seriousness or respect.
2. Belittle
Definition: Dismiss (someone or something) as unimportant.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell
1. Compatriot
Definition: A fellow citizen or national of a country.
2. Fractious
Definition: (Typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.
3. Egalitarian
Definition: Believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
4. Profoundly
Definition: To a profound extent; extremely.
5. Forebear
Definition: An ancestor.
6. Incompetent
Definition: Not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully.
7. Cohort
Definition: A group of people with a shared characteristic.
8. Fledgling
Definition: A person or organisation that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped.
9. Drudgery
Definition: Hard menial or dull work.
How Starbucks Saved my Life by Michael Gates Gill
1. Manque
Definition: Having failed to become what one might have been.
2. Euphonious
Definition: (Of sound, especially speech) pleasing to the ear.
3. Pompous
Definition: Affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important.
Mass Extinction: Examining the Current Crisis by Tricia Andryszewski
1. Biosphere
Definition: The regions of the surface and atmosphere of the earth or another planet occupied by living organisms.
2. Endemic
Definition: (Of a plant or animal) native or restricted to a certain place.
3. Fragmentation
Definition: The process or state of breaking or being broken into fragments.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
1. Privet
Definition: A shrub of the olive family, with small white heavily scented flowers and poisonous black berries.
2. Belch
Definition: Emit wind noisily from the stomach through the mouth.
3. Expulsion
Definition: The action of forcing someone to leave an organisation.
4. Revere
Definition: Feel deep respect or admiration for (something).
5. Deride
Definition: Express contempt for; ridicule.
6. Petulant
Definition: (Of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.