Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Vocabulary Words are listed under the Story Title. The vocabulary words are listed in numerical order. Some stories have no words.
Additional words, (not categorized as vocabulary) are listed below the vocabulary list. (Labeled a, b, c, d, etc.)
Collection 1 “Moments of Truth”
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Literary Focus: Plot and Setting
Informational Reading Focus: Analyzing Structural Features of Media
Elements of Plot and Setting: Madeline Travers Hovland
Reading Skills and Strategies: Summarizing the Plot: Retelling: Kylene Beers
Dragon, Dragon (Short Story by John Gardener)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. plagued- troubled
b. ravaged- violently destroyed
c. lunged- plunged forward suddenly
d. craned- stretched (the neck) as a crane does
*** No Vocabulary Development After the Story
Just Once (Short Story by Thomas J. Dygard)
1. devastating- causing great damage
2. nurturing- promoting growth of, nursing
3. anonymous- unidentified
4. accolade-something said or done to express praise
5. tolerant- patient, accepting of others
6. ponder- think over carefully
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. precedent- action or statement that can serve as an example
b. purist- someone who insists that rules be followed strictly
c. hapless- unlucky
d. cakewalk-easy job
*** “Just Once” Vocabulary Development After the Story Using Context to Determine Meaning
The Stone (Short Story Lloyd Alexander)
1. delved –dug
2. gaped - stared with the mouth open, as in wonder.
3. plight - bad situation
4. obliged – forced
5. jubilation – rejoicing
6. rue – feel sorrow or regret for
7. mired- sunk or stuck
8. fallow- left unplanted
No Additional Story Words
1
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
***The Stone Vocabulary Development After the Story Making Sense of Synonyms
All Summer In a Day (Short Story by Ray Bradbury)
1. slackening – lessening; slowing down
2. surged - moved in a wave
3. resilient- springy; quick to recover
4. savored - delighted in
No Additional Words
*** Vocabulary Development After the Story “All Summer In A Day” Monitoring Comprehension
What Will Out Town Look Like? (Magazine)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Solar System Bodies: Venus (Web Page)
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No Vocabulary or Additional Words
***Vocabulary Development After You Read for “Solar System Bodies” - Using Context Clues
The Bridegroom (Narrative Poem by Alexander Pushkin)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. distraught- extremely troubled
b. plied- addressed urgently and persistently
c. shingle-gate- gate to the beach
d. troika- Russian sleigh or carriage drawn by three horses.
e. brocaded- having a raised design woven into the fabric
f. mead - alcoholic drink made of fermented honey and water.
g. tumult- noisy commotion
h. ikons - images of Christ, the Virgin, and saints used in Eastern Orthodox Church (also spelled icons)
i. clamor - loud noise
j. blanches - turns white, becomes pale
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
In the Fog (Play by Milton Geiger)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. devoid – of; without
b. scrutinizes- examines carefully
c. moonshiners – people who distill liquor illegally
d. warrant – declare positively
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
retractors – surgical instruments for holding back the flesh at the edge of a wound.
pneumothorax - air or gas in chest cavity
irrigation – flushing out a wound with water or other fluid
pay station - pay telephone
Meade’s men – Lee’s; The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War. On July 1-3, 1863, the
Confederacy’s forces, under Robert E. Lee, met with Union forces under George Gordon Meade. The climax of the
battle came when 15,000 Confederate soldiers, led by George Pickett, charged Cemetery Ridge and were repelled.
The North suffered about 23,000 causalities, the South about 20,000.
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Hitchhiker (Radio Play by Lucille Fletcher)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. auto camp – a campground with places for drivers to park their cars
b. lark – good time; spree
c. Pulaski Skyway – long-span bridge connecting the cities of Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey.
d. Alleghenies – the Allegheny mountain range; a part of the Appalachian Mountains that runs through Pennsylvania,
Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.
e. willies – feeling of nervousness; jitters
f. monotony – a tiresome sameness
g. junction – point where two sets of railroad tracks join
h. dogs – a slang word for feet.
i. pink elephants - imaginary objects seen by someone drunk or delirious.
j. mesa – elevated flat-topped land formation with steep sides.
k. Beachwood 2-0828 – phone number; At the time of the story, phone numbers in the United States began with two
letters (called an exchange), followed by five numbers. Names (called exchange names) like Beechwood were used to
tell callers which two letters to dial-usually the first two letters of the name (i.e, BE for Beechwood).
l. prostrated – overcome by exhaustion or grief; weak
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
 Earth Poem by Oliver Herford
 Earth Poem by John Hal Wheelock
Preparing for Standardized Tests
 The Path Through the Cemetery (Short Story by Leonard Q. Ross)
 Solar System Exploration (Web Page by NASA)
Collection 2 Characters: The People You’ll Meet
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Literary Focus: Analyzing Character
Informational Reading Focus: Taking Notes and Outlining
Elements of Characters: Madeline Travers Hovland
Reading Skills and Strategies: Making Inferences: Retelling: Kylene Beers
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
From Bud, Not Buddy (Novel Excerpt by Christopher Paul Curtis)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Ta-Na-E-Ka (Short Story by Mary Whitebird)
1. loftiest- noblest; highest
2. shrewdest- sharpest, most clever
3. grimaced- twisted the face to express pain, anger or disgust.
4. gorging- filling up; stuffing
5. audacity- boldness; daring
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Ta-Na-E-Ka – Developing Fluency in Word Usage
The Wind People Facts About the Kaw by Flo Ota De Lange
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Soverign Nation: Native American nations govern themselves and are not subject to the laws of the U.S.
Government except through treaty or agreement.
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Wind People Developing Words from Native American Languages
The Bracelet (Short Story by Yushiko Uchida)
1. evacuated – removed from an area.
2. interned- imprisoned or confined
3. aliens- foreigners
4. forsaken- abandoned; deserted
No Additional Story Words
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for The Bracelet: The Roots of English
Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies (Magazine Article by Nancy Day)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. prescribe- define officially.
b. in his discretion – according to his wishes or judgement.
c. compensation – payment given to make up for a loss or injury.
d. lobbying – activity aimed at influencing public officials.
e. curfew – shortly before the relocation began, the head of the Western Defense, Lt. Gen. John DeWitt, set a
curfew. Between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM each day, “all persons of Japanese ancestry” had to remain indoors, off
the streets.
f. filed suit - went to court in an attempt to recover something.
4
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
No Additional Story Words
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies: Excluded People/Excluded Words
Blanca Flor (Play by Angel Vigil)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
1. Don- Spanish for “Sir” or “Mr.”
2. Dona- Spanish for “Lady” or “Madam”
3. barren- not producing crops or fruit
4. flourish- sweeping movement
5. apprehensively – fearfully, uneasily
6. mijito- contraction of mi hijito, Spanish for “my little son”
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Blanca Flor: Using Spanish Words in English
The Southpaw (Short Story by Judith Viorst)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Summer Diamond Girl (Essay by Toni Janik)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. clinics – classes or workshops that provide instruction in a specific skill.
b. dilapidated- falling to pieces; shabby
c. repertoire - a collection of songs and cheers someone knows and can perform.
d. prominent- important; easy to notice
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
From the Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Novel Excerpt by Mark Twain)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. odious- hateful; disgusting
b. colicky symptoms- pains in the stomach
c. if he….court- if he came before his aunt. (Twain is comparing Tom’s aunt to a judge in court.
d. row- noise and quarreling.
e. vended- traveled
f. expectorate- spit
g. adherent – follower
h. pariah – outcast
i. gaudy - flashy; showy and in poor taste.
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
j.
hogsheads- very large barrels
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Preparing for Standardized Tests
 Celebrating the Quinceanera (Article by Mara Rockcliff)
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Collection 3 “The Heart of the Matter”
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Literary Focus: Analyzing Theme
Informational Reading Focus: Evaluating Evidence
Elements of Literature: Theme Madeline Travers Hovland
Reading Skills and Strategies: Finding the Theme: Kylene Beers
Two Frogs and the Milk Vat (Fable by Claude Brown)
 No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The All American Slurp (Short Story by Lensey Namioka)
1. lavishly – generously, plentifully
2. mortified – ashamed; deeply embarrassed.
3. spectacle – remarkable sight.
4. etiquette- acceptable manners and behavior.
No Additional Words for this story
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Context Clues to Clarify Meaning
Everybody is Different, but the Same Too (Interview Nilou)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
No Additional Words in this story
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Figurative Language
The Emperor’s New Clothes (Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Anderson)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. looms – machines used for weaving thread into cloth.
b. ludicrous- ridiculous; laughable
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Hyperboles
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Uniform Style (Article by Mara Rockliff)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. mandatory – required
b. motivate – cause someone to do something or act in a certain way; push or drive.
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Interpreting Idioms
Baucis and Philemon (Greek Myth Retold by Olivia Coolidge)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Zeus - chief god in Greek mythology.
b. Hermes- god who serves as messenger of the other gods.
c. Baucis
d. Philemon
e. immortals – ancient Greek Gods
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words from Mythology
One Child’s Labor or Love (Interview)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story (One Child’s Labor of Love)
a. prestigious- much admired and sought after.
b. advocates – supporters, defenders.
c. scrutiny – close examination or study.
d. mediation - attempt to settle disputes by stepping in and trying to help.
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Rapunzel (Fairy Tale Retold by Neil Phillip)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. wan – sickly; weak
b. tresses – long locks of hair
c. skein – length of loosely wound thread or yarn.
d. brambles – prickly shrubs or vines
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Rumplestiltskin (Fairy Tale by Rosemarie Kunzler)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
No Questions Asked
 King Long Shanks (Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen)
 Earth Poem by John Hal Wheelock
Preparing for Standardized Tests
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Little Mangy One (Lebanese Folk Tale told by Inea Bushnaq)
Too Much TV Can Equal Too Much Weight (Magazine Article by Jamie Rodgers)
Collection 4 “Forms of Fiction”
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Literary Focus: Identifying and Analyzing Forms of Fiction
Informational Reading Focus: Analyzing Comparison and Contrast
Elements of Literature: Forms of Fiction Mara Rockliff
Reading Skills and Strategies: When the Words Are Tough: Kylene Beers
I Was Not Alone: An Interview with Rosa Parks (Interview by Brian Lanker)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. boycott – act of joining together and refusing to deal with a company for political reasons
b. inaugurated – formally begun
c. domestic help – household servants, maids, or drivers.
d. proclamation – official announcement
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Gold Cadillac (Novella by Mildred D. Taylor)
1. evident – obvious
2. rural – having to do with country life
3. heedful – attentive; keeping in mind
4. ignorance- lack of knowledge
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. in unison – a chorus, in the same words, spoken at the same time.
b. caravan – group of cars traveling together
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Synonyms and Antonyms
Separate but Never Equal (Article by Mara Rockliff)
 No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
LaBamba (Short Story by Hans Gary Soto)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Richie Valens- (1941-1959), the professional singer mentioned in the story, was the first Mexican American rock
star. In 1959, when he was only seventeen, Valens was killed in a plane crash.
b. para bailar la bamba - Spanish for “to dance the bamba”
c. que ninos tan truchas – Spanish for “what smart kids”
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words with Multiple Meanings
Goodbye Records, Hello CD’s (Article by Mara Rockliff)
 No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Goodbye Records, Hello CD’s: Words with Multiple Meanings
Medusa’s Head (Greek Myth by Olivia Coolidge) & Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head (Cartoon by Marcia Williams)
1. descended – moved to a lower place; came down
2. perplexity – bewilderment; confusion
3. perpetual – permanent; constant
4. recesses – inner places
5. hovered – remained suspended in the air.
No Additional Story Words
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words with Clarifying Words Meanings
He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit
 No Vocabulary or Additional Story Words
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Fox and the Crow (Aesop: Greek fable Dramatized by Mara Rockliff: Reader’s Theater)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. lair- home of a wild animal; den
b. cordial – warm and friendly
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Wolf and the House Dog (Aesop: Greek fable Dramatized by Mara Rockliff: Reader’s Theater)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this story
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words with Multiple Meanings
Author Study: Zora Neale Hurston
How the Snake Got Poison (African American Folk Tale – From Mules and Men)
 No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
How the Possum Lost the Hair on ItsTail (African American Folk Tale – From Mules and Men)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Ole Nora: Noah was ordered to build an ark so that he and his family might survive the flood. (Genesis 6:9)
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Why the “Gator Is Black (African American Folk Tale – From Mules and Men)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. li’dard knot- a kind of wood used in torches.
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
I Kept Probing to Know (Autobiography – From Dust Tracks on a Road)
 No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Searching for Stories (Autobiography – From Mules and Men)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
1. negroism – African American society and culture
2. chemise - a type of women’s slip or dress
3. John Henry – a hero of African American folk tales, known for his incredible strength.
4. Casey Jones – a famous train engineer and folk hero
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
 Why Dogs Chase Cats (African Folk Tale by Julius Lester) No Vocabulary or Additional Words
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Preparing for Standardized Tests
 From All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten (Essay by Robert Fulghum) No Vocabulary or Additional
Words
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
10
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Collection 5 “Biography and Autobiography: Unforgettable Personalities”
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Literary Focus: Analyzing First- and Third Person Narration
Informational Reading Focus: Connecting and Clarifying Main Idea
Elements of Literature: First- and Third Person Narration by Madeline Travers Howland
Reading Skills and Strategies: Finding the Main Idea: Kylene Beers
Ugly Duckling or Little Mermaid? Hans Christian Anderson (Biography by Kathleen Krull)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. illiteracy - inability to read or write.
b. Copenhagen- capital of Denmark
c. adversity – bad luck, trouble
d. intimidated - scared; made timid
e. repelled – disgusted; drove away
f. melancholy – sad; gloomy
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Storm from Woodsong (Autobiography by Gary Paulsen)
1. disengage – unfasten
2. regain – recover
3. emit - give out; send forth
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. brindle colored – gray or brown and streaked or spotted with a dark color
b. George Burns – (1896-1996) American comedian and actor with large ears
c. ladle – cup shaped spoon with long handle for dipping out liquids
d. railroad grade – rise or elevation in a railroad track
***After You Read Vocabulary Development - Prefixes
Bringing Tang Home (Magazine Article by Gina Spadafori)
1. furtive- done in a sneaky or secretive way.
2. formidable – fearsome
3. feral – untamed; wild
4. lure – tempt; attract
5. controversial – debatable; tending to stir up argument
No Additional Story Words
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Where the Heart Is (Article by Sheri Henderson)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this story
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Context Clues
11
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Brother from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Autobiography by Maya Angelou)
1. grating- irritating
2. lauded – praised highly
3. aghast – shocked; horrified
4. precision – exactness; accuracy
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Mizeriz – dialect term for “Mrs.”
b. weevils – small beetles that feed on grains, cotton and other crops.
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Antonyms-Reversing Meaning
The Brother I Never Had (Student Essay by Gim George)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this story
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
(From) The Land I Lost (Autobiography by Huynh Quang Nhuong)
1. infested – inhabited in large numbers, (said of something harmful)
2. wily – sly; clever in a sneaky way
3. hallucination – perception of something that isn’t really there.
4. placate – calm or soothe (someone who is angry)
5. avenge – get revenge for; get even for
More Words/Phrases from the story (From) The Land I Lost
a. plied – worked at
b. waived – gave up voluntarily
c. kilos – kilograms, about 2.2 pounds each
d. incoherently – not clearly
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Context Clues
A Glory Over Everything (from Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Biography by Ann Petry)
1. elude- escape the notice of; avoid detection
2. inexplicable – not explainable
3. legitimate – here, reasonable, justified
4. defiant – disobedient; openly and boldly resisting
5. sinewy – strong; firm; tough
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. overseer – person who supervises workers, in this case, a slave driver
b. Brodas Estate – Edward Brodas, the previous owner of the plantation died in 1849 and left his property to his heir,
who was not yet old enough to manage it. In the meantime the plantation was placed in the hands of the boy’s
guardian, Dr. Thompson.
c. hire their time – Some slave holders allowed the people they held in slavery to hire themselves out for pay to other
plantation owners who needed extra help. In such cases the workers were permitted to keep their earnings.
d. chain gang – a group of prisoners chained together.
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
Harriet’s husband, John Tubman, was a free man who was content with his life. He violently disapproved of his
wife’s plan to escape and threatened to tell the master if she carried it out.
Ben: Harriet Tubman’s father. Her mother is called Old Kit.
patterollers – patrollers
pinioning – pinning
Big House – plantation owner’s house
The quilt – Tubman had painstakingly stitched together a quilt before her wedding
haycock – pile of hay in a field.
guttural – harsh; rasping
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Word Meanings
All Aboard with Thomas Garrett (Magazine Article by Alice P. Miller)
1. prudent – wise; sensible
2. hazardous – dangerous, risky
3. diligence – steady effort
4. servitude – condition of being under another’s person’s control
5. jubilant – joyful
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. barouche – type of horse drawn carriage
b. Emancipation Proclamation – presidential order abolishing slavery in the South.
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Related Words
Yes, It Was My Grandmother (Poem by Luci Tapahonso)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this story
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** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
In the Blood/En la Sangre (Poem by Pat Mora)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this poem
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
That Day (Poem by David Kherdian)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this poem
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
About “That Day” (Essay by David Kherdian)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this essay
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
13
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
The Landlord’s Granddaughter from the Red Scarf (Memior from Ji-li Jiang)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. dowry- money or property given to a bride’s family to the wedding couple.
b. Tianjin – city in northeastern China
c. Little White – Ji li’s family’s pet cat.
d. Shanghai- China’s largest city; located in eastern China, at the mouth of the Yangtze River.
e. Worker’s Revolt – newspaper published by the Communist Party of China
f. Antirightist Movement – a 1957 movement begun by Mao’s Communist Party to punish intellectuals – such as Ji
li’s father- whom the Communists felt had unfairly criticized the government.
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Preparing for Standardized Tests
 From John Brown: One Man Against Slavery (Biography by Gwen Everett)
 From Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the
 Underground Railroad (Biography by Ann Petry)
 Pet Heroes Articles
No Vocabulary or Additional Words for these stories
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Collection 6 “The Writer’s Craft: Metaphors, Symbols and Images”
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Literary Focus: Analyzing Literary Device
Informational Reading Focus: Making Assertions About a Text
Elements of Literature: Literary Devices by John Leggett
Reading Skills and Strategies: Improving Fluency and Reading Rate by Kylene Beers
Reading Rate Passage: What Do Fish Have to do With Anything? (by Avi)
The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln (Biography by Russell Freedman)
1. gawky – clumsy; awkward
2. repose – state of rest or inactivity
3. listless – lifeless; lacking in interest or energy
4. animation – liveliness
5. defy – resist; oppose
6. reticent – reserved; tending to speak little
7. melancholy – mournful; gloomy
8. omens – things believed to be signs of future events
9. paramount – main; most important
10. crusade – struggle for a cause
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. countenance – face
b. bawdy – humorous, but crude
c. yarns – entertaining stories filled with exaggeration. Storytellers could said to “spin” yarns.
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Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
d.
e.
f.
g.
hick – awkward; inexperienced person from the country
abolitionist – person who supported abolishing or ending, slavery in the United States
dismemberment – separation into parts; division
No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this poem
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Finding Synonyms
Lincoln’s Humor (Essay by Louis W. Doenig)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this poem
* After You Read Vocabulary Development: Antonyms
What Do Fish Have to do With Anything? (Short Story by Avi)
1. vaguely – not clearly or definitely; in a general way
2. urgency – pressure; insistence
3. contemplated- studied carefully
4. intently – with close attention
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. threshold – entrance
b. interval – period of time between two events
* After You Read Vocabulary Development: Indentifying Antonyms
Getting Leftovers Back on the Table (Article by Mara Rockliff)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this article
* After You Read Vocabulary Development: Connotations and Denotations: Shades of meaning
Eleven (Short Story by Sandra Cisneros)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this story
* After You Read Vocabulary Development: Connotations: Words Are Loaded with Feelings
The Fun They Had (Short Story by Issac Asimov)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
The Nightingale (Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Anderson)
 No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. porcelain – fine white china
b. Ingeniously – skillfully, cleverly
c. lackeys – servants
d. plumage – feathers of a bird
e. street urchins – mischievous youngsters from the street
f. saber- heavy sword with a curved blade
15
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
g.
h.
Chinese mandarin – high official
the bereaved – survivors of a person who recently died.
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
No Questions Asked
 Jimmy Jet and His TV Set (Poem by Shel Silverstein) No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Preparing for Standardized Tests
 His Gift to Girls (Magazine Article by Ritu Upadhyay) ) No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Collection 7 “Poetry”
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Literary Focus: Analyzing Sound Effects and Figures of Speech
Elements of Literature: Sound Effects by John Malcom Brinnin
Reading Skills and Strategies: Reading Poetry by Kylene Beers
Metaphors, Similes and Personification
The Sea (Poem by James Reeves)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
The Sneetches (Narrative Poem by Dr. Seuss)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Your Poem, Man (Poem by Edward Lueders)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Ode to Mi Gato (Poem by Gary Soto)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles (Poem by Francisco X. Alarcon)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
16
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Hard On Gas (Poem by Janet S. Wong)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
An old silent pond (Haiku by Matsuso Basho)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Winter Rain (Haiku byNozawa Boncho)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Bad Tempered, I got back (Haiku by Oshima Ryota)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
A Balmy Spring Rain (Haiku by Richard Wright)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Poem (Poem by Langston Hughes)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Motto (Poem by Langston Hughes)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
John Henry (Ballad by an anonymous African American)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* After You Read Vocabulary Development: Identifying and interpreting figurative language
The Toaster (by William Jay Smith)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Things to Do If You Are a Subway (Poem by Bobbi Katz)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
17
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
The Sidewalk Racer or On the Skateboard (Poem by Lillian Morrison)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Steam Shovel (Poem by Charles Malam)

No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
A Nash Menagerie (Poem by Ogden Nash)
 No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Preparing for Standardized Tests
Forty One Seconds on a Sunday in June, in Salt Lake City, Utah (by Quincy Troupe)

No Vocabulary or Story Words
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
Collection 8 “Literary Criticism: You Be The Judge”
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
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
Literary Focus: Responding Critically to Literature
Informational Reading Focus: Preparing Applications; Analyzing Faulty Reasoning
Elements of Literature: Literary Criticism by Kylene Beers
Reading Skills and Strategies: Forming Opinions by Kylene Beers
Three Student Book Reviews (Book Reviews by Kylene Beers)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for book review section
* No After You Read Vocabulary Development:
The Dog of Pompeii (Short Story by Louis Untermeyer)
1. ambitious - eager to succeed
2. proverb – short traditional saying that expresses a truth.
3. revived – awakened; brought back to life
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. sham – make believe
b. Caesar – Roman emperor. The word Caesor comes from the family name of Julius Caesar, a great general who
ruled Rome as dictator from 49-44 B.C.
c. sacrifices – offerings; (especially of slaughtered animals) to the gods.
d. stodgy – heavy and slow in movement
e. villa – large house
f. camphor – strong smelling substance used to keep moths away from clothing. Camphor is still used for this
purpose.
g. macallum - market; especially a meat market.
18
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
h.
i.
j.
promenade – public place where people stroll.
provinces – places far from the capital, under Roman control
barometer – instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. Barometers are used in forecasting changes in the
weather.
k. cameo cutter 0 artist who carves small, delicate pictures on gems or shells.
l. byplay- action taking place outside for the main action of a play.
m. marine gate – gate in a city wall leading to the sea
n. Jupiter – the supreme god in the religion of the Romans
o. excavators – diggers here, archaeologists.
p. mosaics – pictures or designs made by inlaying small bits of stone, glass, tile or other materials in mortar.
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Pompeii (History by Robert Silverberg)
 No Vocabulary Words for story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. Lapilli – small pieces of hardened lava
b. There had been an earth quake in Pompeii sixteen years before Vesuvius erupted.
c. Holocaust – great destruction of life
***After You Read Vocabulary Development: Clarifying Word Meanings
Pompeii Museum Application for Volunteer Work (Application Form)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Story Words
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Zlateh the Goat (Short Story by Issac Bashevis Singer)
1. penetrated – pierced; made a way through
2. cleft – split; divided
3. chaos – total confusion or disorder
4. exuded – gave off
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. furrier – someone who makes and repairs fur garments
b. golden – coins formerly used in several European countries
c. dreidel- spinning toy played with at Hanukkah. Its four sides display Hebrew letters that stand for “A great miracle
happened here.”
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Trial By Fire (People Magazine Article)
 No Vocabulary Words for story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. calico – a cat with spots and markings of several colors.
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
19
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Pet Adoption Application (Application Form)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Analyzing Persuasive Techniques (Informational Text)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Analyzing Propaganda (Informational Text)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Stray (Short Story by Cynthia Rylant)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Flood (True Narrative by Ralph Helfer)
 No Vocabulary Words for story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. indoctrinated – taught
b. with a vengeance – with great force
c. salvage – save from destruction
d. leverage – extra force, power to do something
e. petrified – frozen in fear
f. succumbed – surrendered to: were overcome by
g. haven – safe place; shelter
h. cowcatcher – a metal frame at the front of a train engine that clears objects from the track
i. devastating – heartbreaking
j. disheveled – untidy; messy
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
A Bubble Bursts from How I Came to Be a Writer (Autobiography by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Preparing for Standardized Tests
Natural History Museum Volunteer Application (Application Form)
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
20
Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Identify Faulty Reasoning
 No Vocabulary or Additional Words for story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
21