Tears of a Tiger: Chapters 28–45

by Sharon M. Draper
In the first book of the Hazelwood High trilogy, basketball player Andy Jackson deals with the aftermath of the car accident that killed his best friend.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–14, Chapters 15–27, Chapters 28–45

Here are links to lists for other works by Sharon M. Draper: Forged by Fire, Out of My Mind, Copper Sun, Stella by Starlight, Blended
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stable
    firm and dependable; subject to little fluctuation
    Yes, but I understand he’s been dismissed by the psychiatrist as “stable.”
  2. affect
    have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
    Just between the two of us, I don’t think that accident affected him that much.
  3. custody
    guardianship over
    They go to court and Gerald ends up right back down there with the stepfather regaining custody.
  4. bombard
    address continuously, as if with a barrage
    We gonna electrify your senses and bombard your brain with the sounds that make you want to get down!
  5. roost
    a place where birds or bats take shelter and rest
    Did she go back to her roost?
  6. muss
    make messy or untidy
    I have a sorority meeting here tomorrow, so don’t muss up the house.
  7. distracted
    having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety
    Andy, is there anything wrong? You seem a little distracted tonight.
  8. revelation
    the act of making something evident
    Well, this is quite a revelation.
  9. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
    I just know that time heals all wounds, and that you’re young and strong and resilient.
  10. attitude
    a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings
    It will always be difficult to deal with, Andy, but taking one day at a time, with a positive attitude, is the only way to do it.
  11. informal
    having or fostering a warm or friendly atmosphere
    It’s possible, I guess, if you have a real good finish to the year, but you really blew your chance to meet them informally and let them have the next few weeks to be thinking about scholarship possibilities for you.
  12. barely
    in a sparse or scanty way
    You failed English and chemistry, and you just barely passed history and math!
  13. hectic
    marked by intense activity or agitation
    Well, you know how hectic my schedule is.
  14. reprehensible
    bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
    But back to the subject at hand—this absolutely reprehensible report card!
  15. punitive
    inflicting punishment
    Or I shall have to take some severe punitive measures.
  16. ambition
    a strong drive for success
    My father named me Ezekiel Jeremiah Jackson—two strong Bible names—he had great ambitions for me.
  17. detriment
    a damage or loss
    But that name turned out to be a detriment rather than an asset to me.
  18. analysis
    a detailed investigation or examination of something
    “Yes, and Ezekiel here did the sales analysis.”
  19. personnel
    the department responsible for hiring and training employees
    I don’t think there’s anyone there who knows my real name, except maybe the people in personnel.
  20. determination
    a position or opinion reached after consideration
    I guess it was partly from pride, and partly from this determination that I had to make you something really special.
  21. conscious
    having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts
    I was always conscious of improving myself—making myself better—making myself good enough, bright enough, proper enough, respectable enough.
  22. lack
    be without
    It’s that desire to excel that I see lacking in you.
  23. assimilate
    become like one's environment
    That’s the only way to make it in this world—to assimilate into the society in which we live.
  24. substantial
    fairly large
    You will show substantial improvement.
  25. complication
    a medical condition that occurs because of another condition
    Students who catch “senioritis” have been known to develop serious complications and never graduate.
  26. instinct
    inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to stimuli
    He likes to hunt— some killer instinct left over from his ancestors who ran around in loincloths in the Congo.
  27. stalk
    go through (an area) in search of prey
    What would they think if they could see him in his three-piece suit, spear in hand, crouchin’ low to stalk a tiger?
  28. vague
    lacking clarity or distinctness
    I just have this vague feelin’ I’m cold, or dreamin ’ of being cold, or somethin ’.
  29. summon
    call in an official matter, such as to attend court
    Police and life squad were summoned at 4:11.
  30. severity
    the degree of something undesirable as pain or weather
    I’m sure she would have suggested our number had she known the severity of Andy’s problems.
  31. tragedy
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    If we let these tragedies become growth experiences, if we learn from them, then we have in some way triumphed over the fear and anger and sorrow that death brings.
  32. envy
    feel desirous of another's advantages
    And I envied you. Oh yes, I envied your easy, careless ways.
  33. sane
    mentally healthy; free from mental disorder
    He never learned the power and hope that comes from Your forgiveness. I know that’s what kept me sane.
  34. irritable
    easily annoyed
    He got all nervous and irritable whenever anybody even mentioned Mr. Mancilli.
  35. cope
    come to terms with
    He just couldn't cope.
Created on Wed Mar 18 20:16:57 EDT 2015 (updated Tue May 03 09:33:57 EDT 2022)

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