Esperanza Risingby Pam Muñoz Ryan

7th Grade Language Arts

Chapter 1: Las Uvas(Grapes)

• scythe (4): a harvesting tool with a curved blade

• vaqueros (4): cowboys (Sp.)• campesinos (4): peasant field workers (Sp.)• quinceañeras (7): a girl’s 15th birthday

celebration that marks the beginning of womanhood

• forlorn (16): unhappy or miserable• beacon (21): a guiding or warning signal

such as a light or fire

Chapter 2: Las Papayas(Papayas)

• anguish (23):anguish (23): great suffering or paingreat suffering or pain• rosaries (26):rosaries (26): a series of prayers recited a series of prayers recited

by by Catholic believersCatholic believers• composure (29):composure (29): self-controlled, calm state self-controlled, calm state

of of mindmind• deliberate (32):deliberate (32): done on purpose; intentionaldone on purpose; intentional

Chapter 3: Los Higos(Figs)

• crochet (42):crochet (42): needlework done with a needle having a small hook at one end for pulling yarn through intertwined loops

• salvage (43):salvage (43): to save from a fire; shipwreck, etc.to save from a fire; shipwreck, etc.• cinders (44):cinders (44): mostly or partly burned pieces of mostly or partly burned pieces of

wood or coalwood or coal• poverty (47):poverty (47): havihaving little or no money or means

of support; condition of being poor• valise (55)valise (55): a small, hand-held suitcase• charred (56): burned; scorched

Chapter 4: Las Guayabas(Guavas)

• second-hand (65):second-hand (65): used; previously ownedused; previously owned• tatters (66):tatters (66): torn, ragged clothingtorn, ragged clothing• monotonous (72):monotonous (72): lacking variety; a lacking variety; a

continuous continuous soundsound• peasant (77):peasant (77): a poor person of low social a poor person of low social

rank who, many times, rank who, many times, farms farms the landthe land

• fairest (79):fairest (79): lightest in color; not darklightest in color; not dark

Chapter 5: Los Melones(Cantaloupes)

• anxious (84):anxious (84): greatly worried or uneasygreatly worried or uneasy• jalopy (88):jalopy (88): an old, worn out vehiclean old, worn out vehicle• sparse (90):sparse (90): a small amount; not thicka small amount; not thick• careening (92):careening (92): leaning, swaying, or tipping leaning, swaying, or tipping

to one side while in motionto one side while in motion• jamaicajamaica (98): (98): a Mexican festival or partya Mexican festival or party

Chapter 6: Las Cebollas(Onions)

• loomed (100):loomed (100): to appear large or to appear large or threateningthreatening

• accosting (114):accosting (114): attackingattacking• gingerly (114):gingerly (114): cautiously or carefullycautiously or carefully• ridicule (117):ridicule (117): to make fun of; to hurt with to make fun of; to hurt with

words; to insultwords; to insult• somberly (119):somberly (119): depressing or sadly; seriouslydepressing or sadly; seriously

Chapter 7: Las Almendras(Almonds)

• arrozarroz (121): (121): rice (Sp.)rice (Sp.)• grotto (123):grotto (123): a small cave either natural a small cave either natural

or or man-mademan-made• Our Lady of Guadalupe (123): Our Lady of Guadalupe (123): the Virgin Marythe Virgin Mary• strike (129):strike (129): when a group stopswhen a group stops working

until an company grants certain demands, such as

pay increases or other benefits• meek (132):meek (132): gentle, patient, submissivegentle, patient, submissive

Chapter 8: Las Ciruelas(Plums)

• frantically (145): frantically (145): quickly, doing something quickly, doing something because of fear, panic, or because of fear, panic, or excitementexcitement

• peculiar (146):peculiar (146): strange; abnormal; oddstrange; abnormal; odd• spasm (151):spasm (151): a sudden muscle twitcha sudden muscle twitch• valley fever (155):valley fever (155): a sickness of the lungs caused a sickness of the lungs caused

by inhaling fungal spores by inhaling fungal spores from dusty climatesfrom dusty climates

• grim (155):grim (155): frightful; dreadful; horridfrightful; dreadful; horrid

Chapter 9: Las Papas(Potatoes)

• listless (161):listless (161): showing little or no interest showing little or no interest in anythingin anything

• tule fog (167):tule fog (167): a dense ground fog that a dense ground fog that (“too-lee”) (“too-lee”) occurs in the low-lying areas occurs in the low-lying areas

of California’s Central Valleyof California’s Central Valley• bereft (168):bereft (168): deprived; taken awaydeprived; taken away• repatriation (170):repatriation (170): to send a person back to to send a person back to

his/her own countryhis/her own country• ritual (176):ritual (176): a regular custom or practicea regular custom or practice

Chapter 10: Los Aguacates(Avocados)

• taut (180):taut (180): tightly pulled or stretchedtightly pulled or stretched• pneumonia (182):pneumonia (182): a lung illness where fluid a lung illness where fluid

makes it difficult to breathemakes it difficult to breathe• susceptible (183):susceptible (183): more easily infected or affectedmore easily infected or affected

**• indignation (188):indignation (188): anger against something anger against something

offensive or eviloffensive or evil• squalor (194):squalor (194): filth and miseryfilth and misery• animated (198):animated (198): full of life; energetic movementfull of life; energetic movement

Chapter 11: Los Espárragos(Asparagus)

• slogans slogans (199):(199): mottos or sayings used by a mottos or sayings used by a groupgroup

• picket lines picket lines (202):(202): lines of strikers or protesterslines of strikers or protesters• cringe cringe (203):(203): to shrink or draw back in fearto shrink or draw back in fear• despondent despondent (207):(207): feeling or showing extremefeeling or showing extreme

hopelessness hopelessness ****

Chapter 12: Los Duraznos (Peaches)• unrelenting unrelenting (216):(216): not giving up; not ending or not giving up; not ending or

slackening upslackening up• barracks barracks (218):(218): a group of buildings for a group of buildings for

housing large groups of housing large groups of soldiers/peoplesoldiers/people

• second-class citizen second-class citizen (222): a person who is denied (222): a person who is denied certain rights that are certain rights that are guaranteed to allguaranteed to all

• contorted contorted (224):(224):twisted or misshapentwisted or misshapen• relapse relapse (229):(229): to fall back into an illness to fall back into an illness

after after a period of recoverya period of recovery

Chapter 13: Las Uvas(Grapes)

• skeptically skeptically (248):(248): showing doubt or questionshowing doubt or question****• anticipation anticipation (250):(250): expecting something to expecting something to

happenhappen• buoyed buoyed (250):(250): floated; kept afloatfloated; kept afloat• cacophony cacophony (250):(250): a harsh mixture of soundsa harsh mixture of sounds****• torrent torrent (250):(250): a violent flood; a violent flood;

an overwhelming flowan overwhelming flow