Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Vocabulary List Chapters 5-9

personal benefit or gain

"When people have low expectations of you, you can sometimes use it to your advantage."

something that is small or unimportant or that does not last a long time

"I know that we are but a blip on the Earth's timeline."

having a quick inventive mind

"Oliver, you are on clever boy."

helping to develop or improve something

"Shay. Please keep your comments constructive," Mr. Daniels says.

to reduce in size or importance

But then his voice deflates.

to write or tell about

He holds the assignment that I did for Mrs. Hall where we had to describe ourselves.

at some later time : in the end

"The possibilities are not, in fact, infinite, as she would eventually run out of appropriate letter combinations, and the number of letters to be used in each cake would be limited as well."

the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person

"I bet the police would be interested in a little bit of fraud."

to express indirectly : suggest rather than say plainly

"Also, you imply that the possibilities are all positive."

seeming to be without limits

"The possibilities are infinite."

nothing else than : JUST

"It is merely water," Albert reports.

to make coins out of metal : COIN

"They were both minted in that year."

the smallest particle of a substance having all the characteristics of the substance and is composed of one or more atoms

"This is a mixture of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen molecules."

a person who has the habit of expecting everything to turn out for the best

"But I am an optimist."

the path taken by one body circling around another body

"Orbit not just right."

to process (as paper, glass, or cans) in order to regain or reuse materials

"How Earth has recycled its water over and over."

to put or bring back to an earlier or original state

"I finished restoring an old Coke machine today."

to rebel against a ruler or government

"It was served only to peasants and slaves, who revolted and demanded that they only be served lobster twice a week."

to walk or march steadily and usually with much effort

I trudge toward the hallway.

being the only one of its kind

We need to remember that we are unique, too.