Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes, Vocabulary List Chapters 4-6

filled with feelings of fear and wonder : filled with awe

I stop, awestruck.

deeply or utterly confused or perplexed

Bewildered, Bear shakes his head.

to grasp or hold tightly with or as if with the hands or claws

I clutch the porch rail.

a narrow opening or crack in a hard surface and especially in rock

Deep in a crevice, next to a willow tree, is a small, rough tunnel.

to break down or be broken down into simpler parts or substances especially by the action of living things (as bacteria and fungi)

Fallen seeds, leave decomposing, the marsh has become muddier, squishier, blackening my tennis shoes.

sad because of failure, loss, etc.

Now it's my turn to feel dejected.

to dig or gather with or as if with a device dragged along the bottom of a body of water

"Oil folks dredging canals."

to destroy or be destroyed by wearing away

"Land erodes, can't hold back Gulf waters."

having or showing strong feelings of irritation or annoyance

I'm exasperated.

a wide area or stretch

Then, like exiting a cave, the landscape changes again, brightening, becoming an endless expanse of water.

made to feel pleased by something gratifying (such as an honor or a sign or respect or deference)

Ma's always flattered when someone says I act, talk, or look like her.

upset or nervous

I'm flustered.

to twist the face

Bear grimaces.

to move or reach forward in a sudden, forceful way

Lightning-quick, the gator lunges, its jaws opening like a lion's.

to move (something or someone) in a careful and usually skillful way

He maneuvers the airboat to shore.

to look curiously or carefully

I lean over the side, peering, trying to see a fat-belly fish swing by, but the swamp bottom is too muddy.

to repeat from memory

"Made a community," I recite.

showing doubt or unwillingness

I'm reluctant to go.

a ceremony or series of acts that is always performed the same way

"Rituals are important."

to find fault with or criticize in an angry way

"They squealed, scolded me," Bear blurts.

not flowing

Bayous are stagnant or slow-moving streams, I remember from science class.

to look over : EXAMINE

Bear sits cross-legged on the sand, surveying everything he sees.

Very tense

Lips tight, eyelids lowered, back taut.

full of grief or misery

"Hoped you'd be different," he says, woeful.