This Book Won't Burn: Chapters 23-30

by Samira Ahmed
After her father leaves her family, high school senior Noor Khan moves from Chicago to a small town, where she starts a movement to challenge the prejudiced book bans she finds at her new school.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-12, Chapters 13-22, Chapters 23-30, Chapters 31-42, Chapter 43-Epilogue
15 words 18 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. salvage
    save from ruin, destruction, or harm
    “I have an idea. Let me try to salvage the night,” he says, turning right and pulling into a gas station with a small convenience mart attached.
  2. rehash
    discuss again; go back over
    It’s not my job to give him a Racism 101 course, and I also don’t want to rehash the evening with a play-by-play, so I shift the conversation to easier things for my own sake, because exhaustion from bigotry talk is real.
  3. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
    I grab her hand and squeeze. I’m still not forming coherent sentences in my brain.
  4. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    “...deserves worse,” one boy says, his words eliciting snickers and laughter from the kids around him, but when I spin around to see who it is, I realize it could be anyone.
  5. revel
    take delight in
    At how this measly little bit of freedom defines high school—something to attain for freshmen and sophomores, something to revel in for juniors and seniors.
  6. livid
    furiously angry
    “Feel free to show him the photos. But I can’t deal with seeing his face. It’s… I don’t know. I’m gonna take a minute, call my parents and let them handle it. They’re going to be livid this happened again.”
  7. allegation
    a formal accusation against somebody
    “Those are some pretty serious allegations.”
  8. incursion
    an attack that penetrates into enemy territory
    My parents met in college at a protest against US incursions in the Middle East.
  9. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    There are a slew of countermessages.
  10. vitriolic
    harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone
    There are arguments running throughout the thread basically descending into vitriolic name-calling like all comment sections on the internet.
  11. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    Andrew is waiting for me at my locker, an inscrutable expression on his face that quickly turns frosty when he sees me with Faiz.
  12. propaganda
    information that is spread to promote some cause
    “The Spectator has gone full Faux News propaganda for the admin. Facts optional.”
  13. damages
    a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
    The family got an even better apartment because the community started a GoFundMe and they got damages from the company, too. Justice served.
  14. campy
    having an absurdly exaggerated and often humorous appeal
    She gives me a big, campy wink.
  15. due process
    administration of justice according to rules and principles
    “No. But I’m fighting them. I’m entitled to due process, and the union and our lawyers aren’t going to let this slide. Don’t worry. One way or another, I’m going to land on my feet.”
Created on Wed Jul 30 08:12:23 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Aug 26 18:54:19 EDT 2025)

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