Chapter 1 of The Blue Birds at Happy Hills is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Blue Birds at Happy Hills is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC. New York THE PLATT & NOURSE CO. “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently. Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs. “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
Chapter 1 of The Blue Birds at Happy Hills is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.”
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading ““We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.”
noisy and mischievous merrymaking
From this reading ““We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.”
United States civil rights leader whose college registration caused riots in traditionally segregated Mississippi (born in 1933)
From this reading “Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.”
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading ““Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.”
possessive form of “starr” — rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
plural of “starr” — rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.”
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading ““We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
at or in or to the adjacent residence
In this reading “Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
in the past
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading New York THE PLATT & NOURSE CO.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
noisy and mischievous merrymaking
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
United States civil rights leader whose college registration caused riots in traditionally segregated Mississippi (born in 1933)
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
a particular point in time
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading New York THE PLATT & NOURSE CO.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading New York THE PLATT & NOURSE CO.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading New York THE PLATT & NOURSE CO.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
possessive form of “starr” — rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
plural of “starr” — rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE “FIVE LITTLE STARRS” SERIES, ETC.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
in or at the place that
From this reading “We are ready to start, but where are the twins?” exclaimed Jinks impatiently.
which person or people
From this reading Jinks was Meredith Starr’s chum who lived next door to the Starrs.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why, they were here but a moment ago!” said Mete.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading New York THE PLATT & NOURSE CO.
Chapter 1 of The Blue Birds at Happy Hills by Lillian Elizabeth Roy holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 1 holds 256 sentences of The Blue Birds at Happy Hills, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Blue Birds at Happy Hills by Lillian Elizabeth Roy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 52 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
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Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Blue Birds at Happy Hills section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Blue Birds at Happy Hills, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
