Lizzie’s “Cheat Sheet”

A place where air is cooled into liquid and separated into gases like oxygen and nitrogen.

Lizzie: Like a science kitchen that takes air apart into ingredients.

A step-by-step plan to solve a problem, like a recipe for computers.

Lizzie: Instead of cookies, you get robots and video games!

Fluffy fried doughnuts covered in powdered sugar.

Esmerelda: Powdered sugar everywhere. That’s how you know they’re good.

Pepper: I lick the floor for the extras.

A gas we exhale that plants use to make food.

Lizzie: The gas plants gobble up like salad dressing.

A path electricity follows to power things like lights or games.

Lizzie: Electric roads for light bulbs and video games.

Pepper: Don’t chew these wires. Trust me.

A nickname for New Orleans, shaped like a crescent moon around the Mississippi River.

Esmerelda: Our city wrapped by the river like a hug.

The science of using super cold temperatures to change how things act.

Lizzie: Minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit, colder than my freezer times ten!

Esmerelda: I’ll take the ice cream part.

A person who designs, builds, and fixes things to solve problems.

Lizzie: Problem solving superheroes with hard hats. That’s me someday!

A test to discover something new or check if an idea works.

Lizzie: What I call it when I turn the kitchen into a science lab.

Esmerelda: What I call it when flour ends up everywhere.

The oldest part of New Orleans, full of jazz, history, and colorful buildings.

Esmerelda: Balconies, music, and color on every corner.

A stew made with rice, meat or seafood, and veggies, cooked with a rich base called roux.

Esmerelda: Comfort food that tastes like goodness to the soul.

Lizzie: Spicy science in a pot.

A spinning device that helps keep balance and direction, used in things like airplanes, ships, and even smartphones.

Esmerelda: Like a compass with a dance move, it always knows where it’s pointing.

A person from Honduras, a country in Central America.

Esmerelda: That’s where our family roots grow deep.

A famous Louisiana dish made with rice, spices, and a mix of meat, sausage, or seafood.

Esmerelda: Every pot tastes different, but every forkful is a yummy surprise.

Pepper: I sit by the stove hoping something falls my way.

A Louisiana word that means “a little something extra.”

Esmerelda: The joy of a bonus surprise.

Pepper: Like when I get two treats instead of one.

A huge lake north of New Orleans.

Lizzie: A lake so big you can’t even see the other side.

Super cold nitrogen that can freeze roses or make ice cream in seconds.

Lizzie: Science magic! Roses shatter and ice cream fogs up!

Spanish for Mom.

Lizzie: What I call Esmerelda every day.

Esmerelda: My favorite name in the world.

A big sign above a theater or building that shows the name of a movie, play, or event.

Lizzie: It’s like a headline you can see from the street.

Pepper: If it said “DOG SHOW,” I’d be first in line.

A New Orleans celebration with parades, beads, music, and costumes.

Lizzie: The biggest, loudest, happiest party ever!

Pepper: Too loud for me. I’ll just take the beads.

The First African-American High School in New Orleans, marching band section is known for its powerful drum beats and rhythms.

Lizzie: The beat makes me want to build something that moves just as strong.

Pepper: The book’s author graduated from this school!

“My love” in Spanish, a sweet nickname.

Esmerelda: What I call Lizzie when my heart feels full.

The driver’s spot at the front of a streetcar, with the controls for steering, brakes, and speed.

Esmerelda: Where the magic of moving the streetcar begins.

Lizzie: It’s like a cockpit but for wheels and tracks instead of wings.

A gas that makes up most of the air we breathe.

Lizzie: Invisible but everywhere!

The gas our bodies need to breathe and live.

Esmerelda: The breath of life.

Pepper: I pant it out faster than anyone.

A famous New Orleans sandwich, often filled with fried oysters, shrimp, or roast beef.

Esmerelda: Big, messy, and worth every bite.

Lizzie: You need ten napkins!

The first version of something you invent to test it.

Lizzie: My first robot versions usually involve tape and cardboard.

A New Orleans parade where people dance behind the brass band waving handkerchiefs and beautifully decorated umbrellas.

Lizzie: If you’re not dancing, you’re doing it wrong.

Pepper: Best tail wagging parade ever!

A long, narrow house where all the rooms line up in a row.

Esmerelda: Our cozy home full of love.

A trolley that runs on tracks through New Orleans.

Lizzie: Ding ding! My favorite ride with Esmerelda.

Pepper: Windows down, ears up, let’s roll.

A lively style of music from Louisiana, mixing accordion, washboard, and Creole rhythms.

Esmerelda: It makes your feet tap before your mind even notices.

Lizzie: The sound is like engineering for joy, every part fits together to make you move.