Piecing Me Together: Chapters 37–52

by Renée Watson
A talented artist and student, Jade looks for ways that she can give back to her community — but she feels like her teachers view her only as an "at risk" teenager rather than seeing her for who she truly is.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–16, Chapters 17–36, Chapters 37–52, Chapters 53–76

Here is a link to our lists for Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. akin
    similar in quality or character
    You see, instruments in certain families have things in common, like being made from the same types of material, looking similar, and sounding akin to each other.
  2. percussion
    section of a band or orchestra that plays struck instruments
    “Our families are the strings family, the woodwind family, the brass family, and the percussion family.”
  3. contralto
    a singer with the lowest female singing voice
    Then she says, “Fun fact—he was the nephew of contralto Marian Anderson. Their family was from Philadelphia, but she lived in Portland in her last days. Do you know about her?”
  4. integrated
    designated as available to all races or groups
    She folds her arms and says, “In 1939, when she was refused permission to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall, with the help of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson performed a critically acclaimed concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. She traveled the world.”
  5. acclaim
    praise vociferously
    She folds her arms and says, “In 1939, when she was refused permission to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall, with the help of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson performed a critically acclaimed concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. She traveled the world.”
  6. heathen
    a person who does not acknowledge your god
    Maxine whispers to Carla, “Can you believe that woman? Talking to us like we’re some poor black heathens who don’t know anything worth knowing.”
  7. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    The melody is like an intricate collage.
  8. generic
    relating to or applicable to an entire class or group
    I don’t expect Sam to always agree with me, but she didn’t even give me that generic I’m sorry that happened to you or I’m sorry you feel that way response.
  9. alumnus
    a person who has received a degree from a school
    When I step into the waiting area, I dump my bag onto one of the chairs and walk over to the alumni hall of fame wall.
  10. torte
    rich cake usually covered with cream, fruit, or nuts
    I look it over: Sacher torte, pink champagne, crème de menthe, chocolate ganache.
  11. secluded
    hidden from general view or use
    The road is secluded by tall trees tickling the sky.
  12. plush
    characterized by extravagance and softness
    The yard looks fake, too plush and green to be real.
  13. foyer
    a large entrance or reception room or area
    Maxine calls out to her sister, “Mia, what’s the name of this artist, again? The collection in the foyer?”
  14. interject
    speak abruptly, especially as an interruption
    Maxine interjects, “Don’t bombard my mentee with questions,” she says.
  15. bombard
    address continuously, as if with a barrage
    Maxine interjects, “Don’t bombard my mentee with questions,” she says.
  16. emerging
    coming to maturity
    She finishes swallowing her food, takes a sip of her wine, and then says, “Work is amazing. I just put up a show of local emerging artists. We’re getting lots of foot traffic.”
  17. sonogram
    image produced by reflections of high-frequency sound waves
    “We don’t know the sex yet. The sonogram is next week,” she says.
  18. rake
    move through with or as if with a a long-handled tool
    She rakes her yams from one side of the plate to the other, never taking a bite.
  19. gawk
    look with amazement
    Everyone gawks over how beautiful the cake is.
  20. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    He rakes the remnants of dinner into the trash and hands the plates to Abby so she can load the dishwasher.
  21. resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    I don’t want to hear any more about Mrs. Winters’s resentment toward her daughter for being my mentor.
  22. backlash
    an adverse reaction to some political or social occurrence
    I do not want to be Maxine’s experiment, charity case, or rebellious backlash against her mother.
  23. alcove
    a small recess opening off a large room or garden
    In the dark these majestic houses feel creepy, hidden away in all the trees and tucked behind alcoves.
  24. spare
    save or relieve from an experience or action
    And I say, “It was fine,” that I am leaving out the details to spare her from hearing how the village is raising her child.
  25. valedictorian
    the student with the best grades
    This girl graduated from St. Francis as valedictorian.
  26. pertain
    be relevant to
    Today we learn words that pertain to going to the doctor.
  27. insubordinate
    not submissive to authority
    “The police were called to a house party because neighbors complained about loud music. The cops are saying when they came to break up the party, she was insubordinate.”
  28. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    “Young lady, your defiant behavior can get you kicked out of this school.”
  29. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
    perseverar
    to persevere
  30. colossal
    so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
    We walk under the colossal trees, circling the whole park.
Created on Mon Apr 30 13:11:20 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Feb 21 14:01:42 EST 2019)

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