1. Chapters 1 - 4

2. skidded (Page 8) Definition: slid, slipped, spun out Sentence : The baseball player skidded into third base before she could be tagged out.

3. missionary (Page 13) Definition: a messenger; a person who goes on a mission, usually for religious or charitable reasons. Sentence : The missionary spread the message of hope to all who would listen.

4. suffering (Page 14) Definition: enduring; to be ill with; having a medical condition Sentence : Because my grandmother is suffering from arthritis pain, she takes medication every day.

5. Distracted (Page 14) Definition: unfocused, preoccupied, sidetracked. Sentence : Because she was texting, this distracted driver bumped into a car that she was following.

6. sermon (Page 14) Definition: a religious talk, an oration or lecture. Sentence : Opal calls her father “the preacher” because he seems to always be preparing to preach a sermon, or is preaching a sermon.

7. exception (Page 15) Definition: a special case were the rule does not apply; exclusion Sentence : The manager of the trailer park made an exception to the rule of “no kids allowed” so that Opal could live there.

8. constellations (Page 28) Definition: group, collection, an arrangement of stars. Sentence : One of my favorite constellations is the Big Dipper because it is easy to spot on a clear night.

9. memorized (Page 30) Definition: c ommitted to memory, learned by heart, remembered Sentence : When I was in Pre- K I memorized the alphabet.

10. congregation (Page 33) Definition: a gathering; church members Sentence : The congregation of the church sat quietly and listened to the preacher.

11. potluck (Page 35) Definition: a meal where many people contribute, or bring food to be shared. Sentence : We took a strawberry cake to our church’s potluck dinner last week.

12. retriever (Page 37) Definition: a type of hunting dog Sentence : Even though retrievers are known for being hunting dogs, they also make very good pets.