The Lions of Little Rock: Chapters 46-57

by Kristin Levine
Set in Arkansas in 1958, this novel tells the story of two courageous twelve-year-old girls who fight against segregation in their community.

Here are links to our list for the novel: Chapters 1-12, Chapters 13-23, Chapters 24-34, Chapters 35-45, Chapters 46-57
40 words 110 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hesitant
    unable to act or decide quickly or firmly
    “If someone was hesitant or nervous about signing, Liz just started talking, and by the time she was done, not only had the first person signed, but he’d gotten three of his friends to sign too.”
  2. persuasive
    intended or having the power to induce action or belief
    “Liz can be very persuasive,” I said.
  3. register
    sign up to be a voter
    “We have a copy of the poll tax book listing all the registered voters in Little Rock,” said Mrs. Brewer.
  4. ward
    a district into which a city or town is divided
    Next, we’ll divide the city into sections, assign each section a ward captain, and give each captain a shoe box full of cards with the names of all the voters in their area.
  5. halo
    radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
    The joke was repeated, and Mrs. Brewer liked it so much, we started putting a halo in the upper right-hand corner of each card for the saints, an X for the sinners, and a question mark for the savables.
  6. nix
    command against
    We didn’t want to do anything to remind the sinners that there was an election going on, though Mrs. Brewer nixed Miss Winthrop’s idea of letting the air out of their car tires.
  7. rally
    a large gathering of people intended to arouse enthusiasm
    I helped with a rally STOP held on May 19 at Robinson Auditorium to get people energized about the election.
  8. migraine
    a severe, recurring headache
    But when Saturday came, Mother had a migraine and had to stay in bed.
  9. inkling
    a slight suggestion or vague understanding
    For the first time, I had an inkling of what it might be like to be Liz, to feel compelled to say something, and I actually had to recite the nines times tables to keep my mouth shut.
  10. compel
    force somebody to do something
    For the first time, I had an inkling of what it might be like to be Liz, to feel compelled to say something, and I actually had to recite the nines times tables to keep my mouth shut.
  11. coincidence
    an accidental event that seems to have been arranged
    It couldn’t be coincidence.
  12. indentation
    a concave cut or depression in a surface or edge
    I’d been clutching it in my fist so tightly, it left a little indentation on my palm when I opened my hand to show it to her.
  13. ignition
    the mechanism that sparks the fuel in a combustion engine
    “Some cars have one key for the door and ignition and another key for the trunk and glove compartment.”
  14. fumble
    feel about uncertainly or blindly
    I pulled out the opener and, fumbling in the dark, placed it next to the trunk latch.
  15. swagger
    walk with a lofty proud gait
    He swaggered off like a cowboy, but this time, I was pretty darn sure it was an act, like David’s happy grin.
  16. jumble
    a confused multitude of things
    I turned to look out the front window so no one could see the jumble of emotions on my face.
  17. stoop
    small porch or set of steps at the front entrance of a house
    A few seconds later, we were all huddled on the back stoop.
  18. pitch
    throw or toss
    And like a picture in slow motion, I could imagine it. Red leaning out of the window of his car. Pitching a rock at us, like he’d done with the eggs.
  19. hysterical
    marked by excessive or uncontrollable emotion
    Mother began to laugh then, a nervous, hysterical laugh.
  20. stunt
    a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat
    “No way he’d pull a stupid stunt like this.”
  21. rouge
    makeup consisting of powder applied to the cheeks
    I wondered when my dream had turned into Cinderella’s ball, but then I realized it was broken glass in their hair, and it wasn’t rouge on their cheeks, it was blood.
  22. dread
    be afraid or scared of
    I washed my face and got dressed, anxious to know what had happened, at the same time dreading it.
  23. straightforward
    free from ambiguity
    We pretend the world is straightforward, simple, easy. You do this, you get that. You’re a good person and try your best, and nothing bad will happen.
  24. factor
    resolve into numbers that form a product when multiplied
    “But usually, if we take things step by step, we can figure things out. You just have to remember to factor the equation, break it down into smaller parts.”
  25. angle
    a biased way of looking at or presenting something
    I went to my room and sat on my bed and thought. Looked at the problem from all angles, added things up from all sides. I could come to only one conclusion.
  26. clumsy
    lacking grace in movement or posture
    If you were clumsy, maybe you could fall out, but JT wasn’t clumsy.
  27. alpha
    first in order of importance
    I was nervous, because even then, JT was something of a golden boy, the alpha lion of the pack.
  28. slander
    an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
    “Well, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Get out of here. All of you! And if I ever hear one word about this again, I’ll have you arrested for slander.”
  29. lunge
    make a thrusting forward movement
    Red lunged at me, trying to grab it away, but his own father held him back.
  30. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    Red’s eyes blazed with hatred, but he turned and slunk into the house.
  31. passive
    lacking in energy or will
    After seeing JT’s parents, his father so angry and vicious and his mother as passive as a wallflower, my family’s little spats seemed like a child’s game.
  32. spat
    a quarrel about petty points
    After seeing JT’s parents, his father so angry and vicious and his mother as passive as a wallflower, my family’s little spats seemed like a child’s game.
  33. impulsive
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
    “Marlee,” said Daddy, “taking the dynamite from Red was reckless and impulsive.”
  34. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    I looked through my purse and found the tattered black feather.
  35. monotone
    an unchanging intonation
    “They’re protesting,” said Daddy in a monotone.
  36. determination
    firmness of purpose
    But I thought I saw something different in their faces, a determination to make Little Rock a different place than it was before.
  37. megaphone
    a cone-shaped acoustic device to amplify the human voice
    One of the officers held up a megaphone.
  38. enraged
    marked by extreme anger
    But a few became enraged and started throwing rocks, bottles, the very signs in their hands.
  39. token
    insignificantly small
    “So,” said Liz. “The schools reopened.”
    “Yes.”
    “Integrated. Even if it is just a token number of Negroes, it’s…”
    “Integrated,” I finished.
    “Yeah,” said Liz.
  40. flounder
    move clumsily or struggle to move, as in mud or water
    I floundered under the water, my skin stinging all over, sure I was drowning.
Created on Thu Dec 07 11:22:54 EST 2017 (updated Mon Dec 11 13:56:39 EST 2017)

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