Black Boy Joy: List 5

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 “But Also, Jazz” by Julian Randall, “Our Dill” by Justin A. Reynolds, “Percival and the Jab” by P. Djèlí Clark, “Embracing My Black Boy Joy” by Jerry Craft, and “The Griot of Grover Street: Part Three” by Kwame Mbalia.

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
35 words 33 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. congregation
    group that habitually attends a particular place of worship
    The whole congregation even seems at a loss for words.
  2. decibel
    a unit of sound intensity
    “He was my homie. I only started rapping because he gave me beats. I mean, he was the one who told me about decibels, and that’s how I became—”
    “Decibull,” Pastor Sweat says, pinching the bridge of his nose as he says Brandon’s rap name, but smiling at the same time.
  3. necessarily
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    “Gospel rap?” Brandon finished.
    “Not necessarily. More just, something to remind our flock that joy will come in the morning, feel me? I’ve seen your videos, Brandon, and you’ve got a way with the crowd. I want some of that lyricism to give us a shot in the arm. It’s not a death sentence to be Black, but I think the way June’s gone, sometimes we can forget.”
  4. marrow
    network of connective tissue filling the cavities of bones
    A perfect song lifts you up from wherever you’re at to wherever you need to go. Stirs your marrow up, and wherever you were when you heard it first, it can always take you back there.
  5. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    Later that night, me and Brandon finish washing the dishes in silence and trudge back into the living room to sit next to our moms.
  6. spare
    more than is needed, desired, or required
    We duck back into his bedroom without another word, and Brandon tosses me a spare notebook.
  7. crow
    express pleasure verbally
    “Kel, this verse is absolute flames!!” Brandon crows, punching the air.
  8. improvise
    perform without preparation
    It’s not jazz music but it is a kind of jazz, I think, to help people improvise, transform into a place where there aren’t mistakes, only a masterpiece changing directions, and that makes the joy bloom in my chest all over again.
  9. hamper
    a basket usually with a cover
    I point to the last dirty-towel hamper.
  10. aforementioned
    being the one previously spoken of
    Naturally, Mia, being my aforementioned best friend since the first day of kindergarten, knows this better than almost anyone and she likes—no, LOVES—to take advantage of my weakness.
  11. grating
    unpleasantly harsh in sound
    But before she can answer, before she can even part her lips, clear on the other side of the room we hear the loud grating screech of the boys’ locker room door swing open, followed by an even louder, super confident, mysterious voice calling out:
    “Hey, is there anyone in here missing a head by chance?”
  12. exude
    make apparent by one's mood or behavior
    Yep, he definitely knows he’s cool, exuding that easy confidence that I imagine all ridiculously attractive people are born with.
  13. retort
    answer back
    “Oh, well, that’s quite a pickle, isn’t it,” Will says, grinning, except he’s looking at Mia.
    “Dill with it,” Mia retorts.
  14. formerly
    at a previous time
    She looks up at me, her formerly pink nose pinched together.
  15. casual
    not showing effort or strain
    “Oh, cool,” I say, trying to make my voice as casual as possible.
  16. consistency
    uniformity or stability in arrangement, behavior, or quality
    Like, make up your mind, you know? Is consistency too much to ask for?
  17. candid
    informal or natural
    “Maybe my last dance, if I have to do a photo shoot every time,” I grumble as Dad snaps yet another candid shot; this time of me rubbing that area just below my nose so that it probably looks like I’ve only just finished picking it.
  18. barbed
    having or covered with protective points, spines, or thorns
    He follows us through customs and I glimpse white trousers and a barbed tail as he dives into the trunk of our car.
  19. fete
    an elaborate party, often outdoors
    It’s my sister’s birthday. She’s three. The Jab sniffs the air, sensing the fete to come.
  20. endure
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    I endure hugs and Polaroids.
  21. currant
    a small seedless raisin used in cooking and baking
    Roti, cookup, stew chicken, currants roll, and more go down his gullet.
  22. gullet
    the passage between the pharynx and the stomach
    Roti, cookup, stew chicken, currants roll, and more go down his gullet. And he’s still hungry!
  23. gloat
    dwell on with satisfaction
    She was so busy gloating, she didn’t see him limp from the closet.
  24. frail
    physically weak
    The Jab is standing there, frail but not gone.
  25. willowy
    slender and graceful
    What I’m gawking at, though, is what’s behind her: a towering figure in bright colorful clothing and a wide hat, with long willowy legs and arms.
  26. pout
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
    Dad says we have to make our own movies…to show the world that the same mouths that pout when we’re angry…also kiss our moms good night.
  27. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    It grew larger and wider, until finally it loomed over him, a giant silver rectangle.
  28. sift
    distinguish and separate out
    Well, yes, he knew how to collect the joy now. How to sift out memories of loved ones, of first crushes, of hitting the right dance move at the right time and hearing friends cheer.
  29. contentment
    happiness with one's situation in life
    He knew how to snag the feelings of contentment, of growth, of love.
  30. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    Through the bright sunlight shining in the doorway, across the gleaming blacktop parking lot with the freshly painted yellow lines, past the somber sign advertising Aunt Netta’s repast, up the stairs of Grover Street Church, Fort watched the front doors burst open and several adults in suits and dresses—church members!—run out in a flurry.
  31. flurry
    a rapid active commotion
    Through the bright sunlight shining in the doorway, across the gleaming blacktop parking lot with the freshly painted yellow lines, past the somber sign advertising Aunt Netta’s repast, up the stairs of Grover Street Church, Fort watched the front doors burst open and several adults in suits and dresses—church members!—run out in a flurry.
  32. contrary
    exact opposition
    “On the contrary, young Fortitude. I suspect something is very right.”
  33. graze
    scrape gently
    Mr. G turned and walked slowly back into the darkness, fingers grazing the stars.
  34. fend
    try to manage without help
    Soon he’d have another person in the family, someone tiny and precious and unable to fend for themself.
  35. trundle
    move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle
    And he walked through the doorway, wagon trundling behind him, as the newest, youngest, and just-a-teeny-tiny-bit-scarediest Griot of Grover Street.
Created on Thu Nov 02 15:18:46 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Nov 03 17:05:42 EDT 2023)

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