Piecing Me Together: Chapters 17–36

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.
30 words 404 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    I conjure Mom—what would she say?
  2. commodity
    any good that can be bought and sold
    “Dad, I’m serious. You told me that knowing how to read words and knowing when to speak them is the most valuable commodity a person can have. You don’t remember saying that?”
  3. haven
    a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
    When she first told me she was bringing me to a bookstore, I wasn’t that excited to go. But Powell’s isn’t just any bookstore. It’s a massive haven that sells any book you can think of.
  4. complement
    make perfect or supply what is wanting
    The way one is good for advice about choosing the right college and another is good for advice about choosing the right shade of makeup to complement your complexion.
  5. hummus
    a thick spread made from mashed chickpeas
    There’s a tray of vegetables in the center of the coffee table with a small bowl of hummus for dipping.
  6. dignity
    the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
    “...I needed to worry about myself because I would never be able to love anyone or treat anyone with dignity if I didn’t first love and respect myself.”
  7. synchronized
    operating in unison
    All the women are nodding, their heads moving like synchronized swimmers.
  8. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    “I guess I’ll add that relationships should be fun. I mean, there should be real joy in spending time with the person you are dating—and actually, this goes for friendships, too. If a person is making you the brunt of the joke all the time, or if they are dismissive of your feelings, then you need to stop wasting your time.”
  9. dismissive
    showing indifference or disregard
    “I guess I’ll add that relationships should be fun. I mean, there should be real joy in spending time with the person you are dating—and actually, this goes for friendships,too. If a person is making you the brunt of the joke all the time, or if they are dismissive of your feelings, then you need to stop wasting your time.”
  10. ghetto
    a poor densely populated city district
    She goes on and on about how dangerous it used to be, how the houses are small, how it’s supposed to be the new cool place, but in her opinion, “it’s just a polished ghetto.”
  11. assess
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    The boys behind me assess me.
  12. derogatory
    expressive of low opinion
    He calls me every derogatory name a girl could ever be called.
  13. dainty
    delicately beautiful
    The crown is in the center. It is not a princess crown. Not dainty and sweet.
  14. indigenous
    originating where it is found
    E.J. answers, “Basically, we’re sitting here feasting and celebrating that our nation was stolen from indigenous people. Columbus didn’t discover nothing.”
  15. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    The rest of dinner is more somber than usual.
  16. cobbler
    a pie made of fruit with rich biscuit dough on top
    The mood doesn’t lighten up until Mom brings out the peach cobbler that Lee Lee and I made.
  17. arugula
    an edible, leafy green plant with a peppery or bitter taste
    Maxine orders grilled salmon on top of arugula and an Arnold Palmer.
  18. pessimist
    a person who expects the worst
    “Always the pessimist,” she says, laughing.
  19. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    Maxine goes on talking, not even realizing she’s so oblivious.
  20. gibberish
    unintelligible talking
    She sounds like those annoying adults who take babies by the hand and talk in gibberish, in that childish voice.
  21. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    The streets are as solemn as the sky.
  22. fare
    the sum charged for riding in a public conveyance
    She says to the driver, “Can I get on?”
    He says, “Pay your fare, ma’am.”
  23. mural
    a painting that is applied to a wall surface
    And then I see a mural I’ve never seen before.
  24. frail
    physically weak
    I talk in Mrs. White’s frail shaky voice, “Well, hmm. Well, let’s see, Lenora, I think we just might set this one aside. I’ll find a special place for it, but maybe, well, maybe it won’t go on the bulletin board.”
  25. resolution
    a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner
    I write my resolution in black Sharpie marker on top of a background made out of cut-up scriptures, words from newspaper headlines, and numbers from last year’s calendar.
  26. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    Kira and Bailey say, almost in unison, “Just don’t take him back.”
  27. loiter
    linger, remain, or wait around for no apparent reason
    She says, ‘We don’t allow loitering in our store.”
    “Loitering? I’m just—I’m waiting for my friend.”
  28. idle
    not in action or at work
    “So, I can’t look around?”
    “Well, of course, you can. But you can’t stand idle and—”
  29. sear
    burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    “Eating healthy. I think they’re going to give tips on how to make small changes when buying and cooking food. Like, this fish—it’s good—so good, but Maxine and Sabrina would probably say it should be grilled or pan seared or—”
  30. uppity
    arrogant or self-important
    “You hanging around all those uppity black women who done forgot where they come from. Maxine know she knows about fried fish. I don’t know one black person who hasn’t been to a fish fry at least once in their life. Where she from?”
Created on Mon Apr 30 13:10:19 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Feb 21 14:01:26 EST 2019)

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