The Landry News: Chapters 15–20

by Andrew Clements
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The publication of a student newspaper has unexpected consequences in this novel by award-winning author Andrew Clements.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–14, Chapters 15–20

Here are links to our lists for other works by Andrew Clements: Frindle, Things Not Seen
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inspiring
    stimulating or exalting to the spirit
    Well, JJ, that’s certainly an inspiring story, and I know our readers will appreciate your sharing it with us all.
  2. hodgepodge
    a motley assortment of things
    Section B—the second sheet of The Landry News—was a hodgepodge. If there were some good columns that wouldn't fit on page two, they ended up in section B.
  3. fiction
    a literary work based on the imagination
    She noticed that there was no name at the end of the story either. That’s when it hit her that this was not fiction. It was real life.
  4. essence
    the choicest or most vital part of some idea or experience
    “This boy has certainly caught the essence of a hard experience here,” he said, reaching for his handkerchief.
  5. anonymous
    having no known name or identity or known source
    Four days later, the first Friday in December, in the middle of page three of the ninth edition of The Landry News, there was a story by an anonymous writer, a story called “Lost and Found.”
  6. superintendent
    a person who directs and manages an organization
    The first was a copy of a letter from Dr. Barnes to the school superintendent and each of the seven members of the school board.
  7. proceeding
    a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
    It requested an emergency meeting concerning “a disciplinary proceeding against Mr. Karl Larson.”
  8. disregard
    lack of attention and due care
    Other phrases in the letter included, “lack of professional judgment,” “disregard for individual privacy,” “unprofessional behavior,” “inappropriate use of school resources,” and “insensitivity to community values.”
  9. resign
    leave voluntarily, as a job or position
    Dr. Barnes also reminded Mr. Larson that, if he wished, he could choose to resign.
  10. cease
    end
    Dr. Barnes ended the letter by saying that publication of The Landry News must cease immediately.
  11. innocent
    lacking intent or capacity to injure
    And the thing that hurt him the most was that because of his problems—not the kids’ problems—Dr. Barnes was going to use this innocent little newspaper as the whip to send him packing.
  12. transform
    change or alter in appearance or nature
    And who was going to transform this mess into a thing of educational beauty?
  13. guardian
    a person who cares for persons or property
    By the time they got off the bus and had begun to walk the last block to Joey’s house, the publishing committee had offered Cara Landry the job of editor in chief for a brand new newspaper, the Guardian.
  14. motto
    a favorite saying of a sect or political group
    And she accepted, provided that the motto of the new paper could still be the same: Truth and Mercy.
  15. impartial
    free from undue bias or preconceived opinions
    The story was honest, it was impartial, and it lived up to the newspaper’s motto.
  16. sarcastic
    expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
    Dr. Barnes was a tempting target, but Cara didn't get snippy, and she didn't get angry. She didn't even get sarcastic.
  17. meek
    humble in spirit or manner
    She pointed meekly at the masthead.
  18. masthead
    a staff list printed in a newspaper or magazine
    The Guardian was thought up and created independently by only the friends listed here in the masthead, without adults being involved at all.
  19. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    He glared at her and jabbed at the paper with his blunt index finger.
  20. standoffish
    lacking cordiality; unfriendly
    Mr. Larson had not been a favorite among his fellow teachers in recent years. He was too standoffish, too solitary.
  21. duplicate
    make a copy of
    A committee duplicated the eight copies of The Landry News and sent sets of them along with the information sheet to every newspaper, radio, and TV station in the greater Chicago area.
  22. controversy
    a dispute where there is strong disagreement
    This is the home of Cara Landry, a young lady whose newspaper is at the center of a local controversy.
  23. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    Bending so close that Cara could smell the acrid scent of her hair spray, Jordy Matlin said, “This is the part where I ask you questions, and you answer them, okay?
  24. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    The camerawoman cued the reporter with a count of five, and then Jordy asked Cara the same question.
  25. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Cara winced at that, wishing she had used her moment on camera to say something that would have helped take the heat off Mr. Larson.
  26. impact
    a forceful consequence; a strong effect
    The kids saw the impact of the newspaper and television coverage.
  27. debate
    a discussion with reasons for and against some proposal
    They split into teams and had debates, and they put a whole new layer of clippings and cartoons and news photos onto Mr. Larson’s bulletin boards.
  28. self-conscious
    aware of yourself as an individual or of your own being
    Mr. Larson felt self-conscious up there at the front of the hall, but he did not feel alone.
  29. apparently
    unmistakably
    You apparently agreed that the content was not appropriate, and since Mr. Larson had accepted responsibility for the content of the newspaper, you agreed that this disciplinary hearing was needed.
  30. mature
    fully developed and ready to be eaten or used
    We found that the subject matter and the description of the boy’s suffering was too personal, and that the topic of divorce is too mature a theme to be treated in this way in an elementary school newspaper.
  31. censor
    forbid the public distribution of
    According to the Hazelwood Supreme Court decision, a school board must have a clear set of policies in force in order to censor a student newspaper.
  32. spontaneous
    said or done without having been planned in advance
    There was a spontaneous burst of applause, and he made his way back to his seat.
  33. motive
    the reason that arouses action toward a desired goal
    Parents and others who have very good motives—people like Dr. Barnes and all of us who want only the best for children—we may not like to admit that things like divorce create very real problems for children, but they do.
  34. dismiss
    cease to consider
    In less than a minute, while the audience was still clapping and cheering, Mrs. Deopolis took a quick poll of the school board and announced for the record that the disciplinary action against Mr. Karl Larson, Teacher, was dismissed.
  35. vindicated
    freed from any question of guilt
    It had a single headline—LARSON IS VINDICATED!
Created on Fri May 08 12:09:09 EDT 2015 (updated Wed Aug 15 16:16:46 EDT 2018)

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