Warrior on the Mound: Chapters 7–11

by Sandra W. Headon
In Jim-Crow era North Carolina, 12-year-old Cato is an aspiring pitcher whose dream of playing professional baseball collides with racial tensions and conflict after he and his team practice on a whites-only field.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–19, Chapters 20–33
15 words 5 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. straddle
    sit or stand astride of
    He grabs the straight-back chair from Trace and straddles it, sitting backward.
  2. alderman
    a member of a city or town government
    “After slavery was done, about the mid-nineties, I’d say, Vernon’s granddaddy and your great-granddaddy were both elected aldermen for the city of Wilmington.”
  3. poultice
    a medical dressing spread on a cloth and applied to the skin
    Once a month, Gran checks her ground-up plants and herbs to make sure she has enough to make the poultices, salves, and teas that she uses to heal people—to bring down fevers and swelling, or to treat a rash, like poison ivy.
  4. salve
    a preparation applied externally as a soothing remedy
    Once a month, Gran checks her ground-up plants and herbs to make sure she has enough to make the poultices, salves, and teas that she uses to heal people—to bring down fevers and swelling, or to treat a rash, like poison ivy.
  5. forage
    collect or look around for, as food
    Every now and again, Gran drags me and Hope outside to forage.
  6. seamstress
    someone who makes or mends clothes
    “My sister, Kate, was a seamstress. She brought in so much money that nobody bothered her ’bout healing.”
  7. scuffle
    fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters
    We scuffle with one another until the rest of the team runs out to the mound.
  8. douse
    wet thoroughly
    Everybody goes still, as if we were just doused with cold water.
  9. bona fide
    undertaken in good faith
    “Mr. Luke? We could have a bona fide baseball game between the Rangers and the Marlins.”
  10. defile
    spot, stain, or pollute
    “They was planning—to defile the church, Rev—throw paint on it or—write something bad!”
  11. scripture
    any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group
    Rev opens his Bible and reads the scripture, sounding the words out slowly and waiting for the congregation to repeat what he says.
  12. congregation
    group that habitually attends a particular place of worship
    Rev opens his Bible and reads the scripture, sounding the words out slowly and waiting for the congregation to repeat what he says.
  13. desecrate
    violate the sacred character of a place or language
    “Church, there’s mischief afoot in Pender County—fights amongst young white and colored boys, folks planning to desecrate the church."
  14. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    Rev just reminded us to turn the other cheek, but does that mean I have to slink away from fights like a coward?
  15. benediction
    a blessing or ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection
    I rise for the benediction, then sit back down.
Created on Mon Jul 13 17:56:49 EDT 2026 (updated Fri Aug 07 15:12:50 EDT 2026)

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