Towers Falling: List 1: New School–Principal's Office

by Jewell Parker Rhodes
In this powerful novel, a Brooklyn fifth grader explores the effects of the September 11th terrorist attacks on her family, friends, city, and country.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1: New School–Principal's Office, List 2: Homeroom–Bogeyman Dreams, List 3: Sabeen–Pact, List 4: Field Trip–The End

Here are links to our lists for other books by Jewell Parker Rhodes: Ninth Ward, Ghost Boys
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    Eyes closed, I grimace. I wish I could sleep and have no worries, like her.
  2. shelter
    temporary housing for homeless or displaced persons
    In the shelter, even when I’m awake, I sometimes keep my eyes closed.
  3. disrespect
    show a lack of regard for
    Arms crossed, I look around, daring anyone to disrespect me.
  4. eviction
    the removal of someone occupying a home or land
    I hope the teacher doesn’t say, “Write an essay about your summer vacation.” If she does, I’ll leave the paper blank. Else I’ll have to lie. Say eviction is the best vacation.
  5. fancy
    not plain; decorative or ornamented
    The classroom is bright and fancy. Streamers decorate the walls, and pictures of books are thumbtacked on bulletin boards. There’s even a bookcase with new books and two red beanbag chairs.
  6. curriculum
    an integrated course of academic studies
    “Principal Thompson wants us to try a new curriculum.”
  7. integrated
    formed or united into a whole
    “All lessons are to be integrated.”
    What’s that mean? This school is already integrated. More integrated than any school I’ve ever been.
  8. relevant
    having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
    “‘Be relevant,’ Principal Thompson likes to say. ‘History is alive.’”
  9. squint
    partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct light
    I squint my “don’t you make fun of me” look as hard as I can. Nobody stares back. Or gives me an evil look.
  10. bustle
    move or cause to move energetically or busily
    The cafeteria is bustling with little kids opening superhero or My Little Pony lunch boxes.
  11. graffiti
    unauthorized drawings or writing on walls in public places
    I like the hallway walls—painted sky blue and bright yellow. No curse words or graffiti.
  12. heritage
    an attribute that is inherited from ancestors
    “She means where do your people come from?”
    “Your heritage,” mumbles Sabeen, her mouth full of bread.
  13. quip
    make jokes or witty remarks
    “This is stupid,” I say. “Sappy like syrup.”
    “Better than sour,” quips Sabeen.
  14. scowl
    frown with displeasure
    I scowl at know-it-all Ben.
  15. amazed
    filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise
    I like here—walking these halls, amazed that Ben and Sabeen, for no reason, decided to be my friends.
  16. shabby
    showing signs of wear and tear
    All kinds of families—small ones, large ones, all colors—without an apartment or house. Some are clean but a bit shabby (like me, Ray, and Leda). A few are a mess—dirty and stinky.
  17. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    Miss Garcia doesn’t yell—she’s stern but soft and nice, too.
  18. critical
    characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
    Miss Garcia says, “Think critically.”
  19. skyscraper
    a very tall building with many stories
    It’s not Brooklyn. It’s Manhattan. You can see the East River. And right across the river are hundreds of tall buildings, some shooting straight, piercing the clouds. Others, not as tall, close the gaps between skyscrapers.
  20. hodgepodge
    a motley assortment of things
    Nothing but a hodgepodge of brick, glass, and concrete.
  21. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    “Now, class, come over to the windows.”
    Everyone clambers up. Including Ben.
  22. holler
    shout out
    It’s Ben who hollers, “The two towers. The two towers are gone.”
  23. glitter
    sparkle or shine with shimmering light
    The two rectangular towers in the photo are gone, replaced by one glittering tower with a pointy top pricking the sky.
  24. anniversary
    the date on which an event occurred in some previous year
    “This Sunday is the fifteenth anniversary,” Ben says.
  25. challenging
    stimulating interest or thought
    “This is a new, challenging lesson plan. One step at a time.”
  26. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Exasperated, Miss Garcia sighs.
  27. dread
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    Miss Garcia’s expression is complicated, all mixed up with sadness, excitement, and dread.
  28. crochet
    make needlework by interlocking thread with a hooked needle
    Like Ma’s broken Hope Chest. Once, it was filled with things she sewed, like holiday linens and napkins, crocheted baby blankets.
  29. stoop
    small porch or set of steps at the front entrance of a house
    When we had a house, I used to sit on his lap on the stoop, and we’d watch the night stars.
  30. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    She unfurls yellow construction paper.
  31. divine
    emanating from God
    “Home is divine. Blessed by Allah.”
  32. grudge
    a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
    She really wants to read her essay, but, unlike me, Sabeen doesn’t hold grudges.
  33. crumble
    break or fall apart into fragments
    My house is pathetic. The clay dried and cracked; it’s a crumbling gray square.
  34. unravel
    disentangle
    I lift the cutout, and the paper people unravel—one, two, three, four.
  35. topple
    fall down, as if collapsing
    I push off from the table and stand. My chair topples. The whole class quiets.
  36. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
    I turn, head up, strutting. I act like I’ve been sent to the principal’s office before.
  37. assert
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
    “An essay is like you asserting things you know or believe are true.”
    “Asserting?”
    “Writing with confidence.
  38. concise
    expressing much in few words
    "How can you write more forcefully? More concisely?”
    “Concisely?”
    “Clearly. Not using extra words.”
  39. thesis
    an unproved statement advanced as a premise in an argument
    That’s your thesis. Your main idea. Spaces, buildings are important but never as important as the people inside.
  40. scold
    censure severely or angrily
    If Ma had heard me, she would’ve scolded me and said, “Dèja, I taught you better than that.”
Created on Tue Sep 12 14:34:45 EDT 2017 (updated Mon Jun 25 16:36:04 EDT 2018)

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