Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu Chapters 4-9

very disagreeable or unpleasant

He was the Snow Man, and he could be either hero or villain, Indomitable or Abominable.

a piece of clothing or equipment that is used in a particular place or for a particular activity

As soon as she crossed through the front door, she shed herself of the accoutrements of her absurdity, and had to fight the urge to dump them behind a wastebasket.

to speak or pronounce clearly

"Good morning, Hazel," she said carefully articulating each word.

not natural in quality

An artificial smile spread across her face, and Hazel got the feeling she was supposed to congratulate the teacher on her generosity.

to collect or gather into a crowd or group : ASSEMBLE

A grin spread across his face, and he ran toward the boys that congregated there.

to give an unusual appearance or unnatural shape to by twisting

Trees stretched up into the darkening sky like yearning giants, their thick branches contorted and mean from reaching out for something they could never grasp.

to detect with the eyes : distinguish

Hazel turned to look up at her teacher, trying to discern whether she meant I have actually knowledge that I am imparting to you about Jack's condition or I have no idea whether he'll be okay but since I am a grown-up I think pretending I do is somehow comforting to you.

to put into effect : perform or carry out

In her mind she executed a grand plié.

to become worse as time passes

Why is my face festering?

impossible to defeat

He was the Snow Man, and he could be either hero or villain, Indomitable or Abominable.

sure to happen

She might have realized that these activities would result in an inevitable call to her mother, and that her mother, too, would not take kindly to the throwing, stomping, or disappearing.

easily bent : flexible

Tall and lithe like a sketch.

to be successful in getting around, through, or over

It made sense; since she'd come to Lovelace he'd had to negotiate things with them delicately so he didn't hurt their feelings.

a strong liking for something or a strong tendency to behave in a certain way

He is seven feet tall and warty, has terrible breath, and a penchant for hanging out under bridges.

the ability to understand which things are truly important and which things are not

"You have to see things from her perspective."

to sound in shaky or unsteady tones

But she leapt anyway, and while the lamps shook and the decorative furniture quavered, she did not break a thing.

behaving in a rough and noisy way

Here on the bus the raucous voices of the boys in back slapped against her like an angry sea.

to bounce off at an angle

The pencil case ricocheted off Tyler's face and clattered on the desk.

showing that you know a secret

She took hold of reins and looked down at him with a sly smile.

comfort in times of sorrow or worry

But they were cold things, and it was like looking for solace in frost.

a scene or event shown by a group of persons who remain still and silent

Hazel stood there, looking at the frozen tableau of her class, at the shocked faces of the other kids, at Tyler who was clutching his face, at Mrs. Jacobs who seemed to have short-circuited, and decided she was not sorry.

to talk in an annoying way usually for a long time

Mrs. Jacobs began to yammer on about the formation of snowflakes.