Black Boy Joy: List 4

by Kwame Mbalia, Jerry Craft, Jason Reynolds
In this collection of stories from seventeen authors, in settings ranging from Atlanta to outer space, the joys of growing up are emphasized in the experiences of Black boys from ages nine to thirteen.

This list covers “Coping” by Tochi Onyebuchi, “The Gender Reveal” by George M. Johnson, and “Kassius’s Foolproof Guide to Losing the Turkey Bowl” by DaVaun Sanders.

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
35 words 5 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    “I oughta snap that thing in half. What did I tell you about getting on that thing? You have any idea how worried I was when I got the call that you were at the hospital? You lucky I work here so I could get here so fast, but oooh when we get back home, you’re gonna wish you broke more than your arm, because I’m gonna—”
    “Now, CJ, here’s your medication,” said the nurse, saving him from further berating.
  2. sulky
    sullen or moody
    “Hi, Taye,” CJ said in a sulky voice.
  3. imperial
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    Him standing imperially at the top of the ramp with his board propped up on the lip, helmet loose on his head while fans held their phones up to watch his vert run at the Summer X Games.
  4. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
    He started perusing the ground for pebbles, seeing where the concrete was smooth and where it wasn’t.
  5. languidly
    in a lethargic manner
    Backroads he could wind down, vacant lots he could languidly carve through—everything was brighter, sharper.
  6. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    Then he looked at that stairwell, suddenly the steepest stairwell he’d seen in his entire life.
  7. domain
    territory over which rule or control is exercised
    To push up a hill, look down at your domain from its crest, then cut through the air like an arrow loosed from a bow, no cars on the road, no one yelling at you to watch out.
  8. crest
    the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave
    To push up a hill, look down at your domain from its crest, then cut through the air like an arrow loosed from a bow, no cars on the road, no one yelling at you to watch out.
  9. taper
    diminish gradually
    A single button jacket with a Monk collar and tapered pants that stopped right at the ankle.
  10. hence
    from that fact or reason or as a result
    But sometimes it felt like his designs were too much—too much for his friends, maybe, and definitely too much for his father, whom he adored. Hence the suit.
  11. flair
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    But sometimes it felt like his designs were too much—too much for his friends, maybe, and definitely too much for his father, whom he adored. Hence the suit. (Even though it still had some of his signature flair.)
  12. depict
    show in, or as in, a picture
    But this sketch depicted a long, flowing train attached right at the waist.
  13. glamorous
    having an air of allure, romance and excitement
    It was gorgeous and glamorous.
  14. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    Janet was about five feet tall with a milk chocolate complexion.
  15. pleat
    a fold in a garment or piece of fabric
    She was wearing a maroon sweater and a gray skirt with pleats, the regular uniform most of the girls wore.
  16. piercing
    very perceptive
    Malcolm lifted his head up and looked at Janet in her piercing eyes.
  17. flamboyant
    elaborately or excessively ornamented
    Malcolm’s dad wasn’t always the best with words, so when he said “different,” Malcolm knew what he meant. Over-the-top. Colorful. Flamboyant.
  18. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    A lump formed in Malcolm’s throat and their hands got clammy.
  19. lingo
    a characteristic language of a particular group
    “Hey, I been in this community awhile. I know the lingo.”
  20. canopy
    a covering (usually of cloth) that shelters an area
    Check the cake—our backyard trees shade the canopy, but the buttercream frosting is sweating worse than I am.
  21. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    I reluctantly set the rose down beside the cake.
  22. custom
    made according to the specifications of an individual
    I shed the formal gear and pull on my custom-made jersey with our team name, Cheat Code Squad.
  23. cul de sac
    a street with only one way in or out
    Our whole cul-de-sac is shut down for First Peoples’ Remembrance Day, cars stuffed into garages or moved around the corner for the big game.
  24. kinfolk
    a person's relatives, collectively
    The Jacksons’ yard is full of kinfolk going in on third and fourth plates from long tables stacked with turkey, corn bread, all manner of salads, stuffing, ham, mashed potatoes, grilled tofu, greens, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, and roasted veggies.
  25. gutter
    a channel at the edge of a street for carrying off surface water
    My heart does a little wiggle at the sight of Maya, pushing a pebble down the gutter with one of her Chucks.
  26. churn
    stir cream vigorously in order to make butter
    “You better go. Last time I got in trouble, they made me spend a weekend living two hundred years ago. No Wi-Fi.” She shudders. “And we churned actual butter.”
  27. warp
    bend or twist out of shape
    I glance around at our other teammates: Syd warps gravity, and Valencia is an elemental.
  28. bound
    a line determining the limits of an area
    Turkey Bowl rules are simple: sidewalk is out of bounds.
  29. mote
    a tiny piece of anything
    The street ripples with motes of red light.
  30. levitation
    the phenomenon of rising as if by supernatural means
    At the same time, Daed’s levitation vaults me forward.
  31. quad
    a muscle of the thigh that extends the leg
    I get ten yards with the ball before Royce’s lightning snatches my quads.
  32. lurch
    move abruptly
    A touchdown is just ten yards away, but the end zone suddenly lurches off into the distance, like our block just grew a mile long.
  33. induction
    an electrical phenomenon generating an electromotive force
    Maya’s dad is boiling water off the flooded street using his Fuerza—heat induction—and he’s chuckling too.
  34. sear
    burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    “Maybe we can teach him how to sear some tuna after he finishes up our ribs,” Daed’s dad wheezes.
  35. mystified
    totally perplexed and mixed up
    Before I can answer, Maya winks back with a mystified scowl. “‘Me’? What kind of joke is this?”
Created on Thu Nov 02 15:18:36 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Nov 03 17:05:11 EDT 2023)

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