Rosa by Any Other Name: Prologue–Chapter 12

by Hailey Alcaraz
This Romeo and Juliet-inspired historical novel tells the story of Rosa, a Mexican-American girl who is passing as white at her high school until a tragedy forces her to choose between her community and her future.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue–Chapter 12, Chapters 13–27, Chapters 28–44, Chapters 45–60, Chapters 61–75
15 words 50 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
    She wasn’t one to indulge in many frivolous activities; we didn’t own a television, and I’d scarcely seen her sit down to read anything longer than a recipe—but morning radio was her one vice.
  2. de facto
    existing, whether with lawful authority or not
    Using my fairer skin to slip in undetected, despite the prejudices that led to de facto segregation.
  3. reiterate
    say, state, or perform again
    “One more year,” Papi reiterated from across the room, his voice firm and resounding.
  4. resounding
    characterized by loud, deep sound
    “One more year,” Papi reiterated from across the room, his voice firm and resounding.
  5. pensive
    showing deep sadness
    Though she was slightly out of focus in the background, I had recognized the pensive look on her face as she studied the hippo peering back at her from behind the bars of its cage.
  6. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
    Peter shot our teacher a petulant look before sliding into the seat on the other side of Julianne.
  7. crotchety
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    “I’ve got crotchety Mr. Collins. I swear, even he fell asleep this morning when he was describing The Scarlet Letter.”
  8. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    The strap slipped out of his hands and a slew of yellow pencils, composition notebooks, and my coin purse spilled onto the kitchen floor.
  9. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    At the forefront was a boy in a football uniform, helmet balanced on his hip, with a jaunty saunter that made my heart race in dread.
  10. saunter
    a careless leisurely gait
    At the forefront was a boy in a football uniform, helmet balanced on his hip, with a jaunty saunter that made my heart race in dread.
  11. contend
    maintain or assert
    The schools had previously contended that segregation for these students in separate schools was due to language deficiencies.
  12. deficiency
    the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
    The schools had previously contended that segregation for these students in separate schools was due to language deficiencies.
  13. pertinent
    having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand
    “I’m not really sure that’s pertinent to our student body, Julianne. Let’s keep it local. Focused on student interests, okay?”
  14. furtive
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    “Unless you and Ramón”—I whispered his name, unable to stop myself from casting a furtive glance around me to make sure no one was eavesdropping —“have called it quits on this whole thing, I’m not sure there’s anything you can say that I want to hear.”
  15. incongruous
    lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
    A breeze rustled the tree branches above them, shaking free a flurry of bright yellow flowers that scattered all around them. Like neon-colored snowflakes, incongruous but lovely.
Created on Wed Aug 12 08:40:03 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 01 14:10:19 EDT 2026)

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