Hey, Kiddo: Hey, Kiddo

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Author and artist Jarrett J. Krosoczka, the creator of the Lunch Lady graphic novels, was raised by his grandparents due to his mother's struggles with addiction. In this memoir, he recounts growing up in a complicated and sometimes troubled family.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. smitten
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    My grandfather was a freshman; my grandmother was a junior. He, too, was smitten, so he lied about his age.
  2. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    I imagine that Joe was only able to keep up his ruse for so long, because eventually Shirley would graduate in the spring of 1945 and he wouldn't.
  3. recur
    happen or occur again
    I had this recurring dream when I was a kid.
  4. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    The monsters would inevitably creep closer and closer.
  5. relinquish
    part with a possession or right
    Determined to keep me, Joe convinced Leslie to sign the paperwork relinquishing parental rights.
  6. argumentative
    given to or characterized by a tendency to dispute
    Leslie knew Joe would take care of me, but she didn't trust her mother. Not with their fiercely argumentative history.
  7. faze
    disturb the composure of
    It didn't seem to faze them all that much.
  8. idyllic
    excellent and delightful in all respects
    From the outside, it looked fairly idyllic.
  9. void
    an empty area or space
    But I always felt the void that Leslie's absence created.
  10. malevolence
    wishing evil to others
    Shirley's malevolence wasn't exclusively targeted to Leslie.
  11. exclusively
    without any others being included or involved
    Shirley's malevolence wasn't exclusively targeted to Leslie.
  12. bicker
    argue over petty things
    The fighting and bickering didn't stop.
  13. disclosure
    the act of making something evident
    Chapter 4: Disclosure
  14. luau
    an elaborate Hawaiian feast or party
    One night, we all got dressed up and went to a Hawaiian luau at our hotel.
  15. addiction
    being dependent on something habit-forming
    She'd walk into a store with a trash bag, fill it with batteries, and then run out of the store—selling the batteries on the black market to fuel her addiction.
  16. ward
    a person who is under the protection of another
    My grandfather swooped in, gaining legal custody of me so that I wouldn't become a ward of the state.
  17. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
    I knew in that moment, when my grandfather told me the plain truth, that life wouldn't be the same for me. It didn't change the circumstances, but it shifted my perspective.
  18. motivation
    psychological feature arousing action toward a desired goal
    I didn't have the motivation to work this hard on my regular coursework for school, but this was everything I wanted in life.
  19. conform
    be similar, be in line with
    Books like these, they want you to conform to their style.
  20. humble
    marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful
    Mine says, "It's hard to be humble when you are so damn handsome."
  21. anthology
    a collection of selected literary passages
    Later that night, I taped the fortune to the top-left corner of my desk and started working on my contribution to Mark Lynch's comics anthology.
  22. probation
    a trial period when an offender has time to redeem himself
    If Leslie can prove to her probation officer that she can hold down a job, she'll move back to Worcester.
  23. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    New experiences and new revelations continued to unfold in all aspects of my life.
  24. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    I didn't know how I would broach that subject with Mariah.
  25. devastate
    cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
    In that bag? Every stuffed animal I'd ever won her and every note I'd ever handed to her in class. I was devastated.
  26. hierarchy
    a series of ordered groupings within a system
    I'd managed to build up a great spot in the social hierarchy of school back at Gates Lane. But now I was starting from scratch.
  27. proclaim
    state or announce
    At games, cheerleaders would proclaim, "Go, NAPS!"
  28. accommodate
    provide with something desired or needed
    In a terrible stroke of luck, I had gym class with the upperclassmen to accommodate taking art as an elective.
  29. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
    I took solace in Mr. Shilale's art class.
  30. medium
    a means or instrumentality for communicating information
    The most visible creators are those artists whose medium is life itself.
  31. abstract
    not representing or imitating external reality
    Even the world's greatest abstract artists learned how to draw realistically before they could pick apart the imagery.
  32. editorial
    of an article stating opinions or giving perspectives
    Now, class, your next assignment will be to draw an editorial cartoon for the Telegram & Gazette's student contest.
  33. mural
    a painting that is applied to a wall surface
    I'd like for you to paint a mural of our school mascot on it.
  34. reflect
    think deeply on a subject
    And of course, Joe loved reflecting on his ill-fated necktie business.
  35. revolutionize
    change radically
    It was his out-of-the-box thinking that led him to revolutionize the ball-valve industry.
  36. capacity
    a specified function
    My uncles, Joey and Stephen, helped run things in the main office, and at different points Leslie, Lynn, and Holly all worked there in some capacity.
  37. blueprint
    something intended as a guide for making something else
    Today you're going to learn how to draw blueprints.
  38. bliss
    a state of extreme happiness
    Forty-five years with this honey bunny. Nothing but bliss!
  39. flaunt
    display proudly
    But it's like I always said: If ya got it, flaunt it!
  40. cassette
    a flat case holding magnetic tape for playing sound or video
    I tooled around in my grandmother's 1984 Buick Century and I loved it. No cassette deck or power windows, just pure freedom.
  41. portfolio
    a set of pieces of creative work shown as a sample
    My senior year began and I got to work on my portfolio for college.
  42. obsessive
    characterized by an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation
    I was obsessive over checking the mail.
  43. endeavor
    a purposeful or industrious undertaking
    While we did not find your portfolio to be satisfactory, we wish you the best of luck in your artistic endeavors.
  44. flair
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    Piece of advice, kiddo. Never be afraid to add a little flair to your wardrobe.
  45. generation
    the normal time between successive groups of contemporaries
    I had two incredible parents right there before me the entire time. They just happened to be a generation removed.
Created on Wed Oct 10 13:52:10 EDT 2018 (updated Wed Oct 10 15:12:18 EDT 2018)

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