War Brothers: "War Brothers" by Sharon E. McKay and Daniel Lafrance

by Sharon E. McKay, Daniel Lafrance
Based on true events, this graphic novel tells the harrowing story of a boy forced to be a child soldier in Uganda.
45 words 129 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. resistance
    group action in opposition to those in power
    Where I live, far from the capital city of Kampala, Kony Joseph leads the Lord's Resistance Army (or the LRA).
  2. convoy
    a procession of land vehicles traveling together
    There is a convoy of soldiers coming.
  3. seminary
    a private place of education for the young
    We go to George Jones Seminary for Boys.
  4. corruption
    use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
    I will tell you, Museveni does not want Kony caught because it gives him the excuse to keep such a big army. But there is great corruption in the army.
  5. honorable
    deserving of esteem and respect
    Make me proud this semester. Do not forget that you are Acholi, a great and honorable tribe.
  6. excel
    distinguish oneself
    Say hello to Okello Norman. He's new here and he's younger than the rest of you, only twelve, but he has excelled in all his classes.
  7. finite
    bounded in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent
    Knowledge is infinite and waits patiently to be both discovered and rediscovered...and yet our lives are finite.
  8. determine
    find out or learn with certainty, as by making an inquiry
    We who are in this house of God have mere moments to determine the truth before we are called back into the welcoming arms of our creator.
  9. cricket
    a game played with a ball and bat by two teams of 11 players
    Well, in New York City there's a team called the Yankees. They play a game like cricket but not at all like cricket.
  10. hallowed
    worthy of religious veneration
    Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy...
  11. scarce
    deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
    Water was scarce.
  12. designate
    give an assignment to someone
    Everyone had a designated job.
  13. scavenge
    collect discarded or refused material
    Only soldiers were allowed to drink the water and eat food. We ate what we could scavenge along the way: insects, wild fruits, and lizards.
  14. douse
    wet thoroughly
    They prayed, doused their heads with water to wash away their sins, and they tied magical stones around their wrists.
  15. personnel
    group of people willing to obey orders
    When we were too exhausted to move, they would teach us about arms, antitank mines, antipersonnel mines.
  16. mine
    explosive device that explodes on contact
    When we were too exhausted to move, they would teach us about arms, antitank mines, antipersonnel mines.
  17. propel
    cause to move forward with force
    And there were SAM1 missiles and RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades that could puncture armor.
  18. tuberculosis
    infection transmitted by inhalation or ingestion of bacilli
    Then my mom died too, but of tuberculosis.
  19. representative
    a person who stands in for others
    The government representatives came to our village and said that we would be safer in a displacement camp.
  20. displacement
    the act of moving something from its natural environment
    The government representatives came to our village and said that we would be safer in a displacement camp.
  21. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
    At night Sarah and I walked from the camp to the refugee center in Gulu...there were thousands of us, from surrounding villages and refugee camps.
  22. commuter
    someone who travels regularly to and from work
    They called us night commuters...in Gulu, there were places for us to sleep, in wooden shelters, churchyards, on the streets.
  23. hearken
    listen; used mostly in the imperative
    Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but have rejected it!
  24. negotiate
    discuss the terms of an arrangement
    Kony is trying to negotiate with the parents of your school. Your father is head of the parents' group...Kony wants guns in exchange for all of you.
  25. violation
    an act that disregards an agreement or a right
    ...and yesterday, the world court in The Hague charged Joseph Kony with twenty counts of human rights violations and will prosecute him when captured.
  26. prosecute
    conduct legal proceedings against a defendant
    ...and yesterday, the world court in The Hague charged Joseph Kony with twenty counts of human rights violations and will prosecute him when captured.
  27. snare
    something that catches you unawares
    Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
  28. rebuke
    censure severely or angrily
    May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
  29. expendable
    suitable to be used up
    You are expendable.
  30. ridge
    a long narrow natural elevation or striation
    We will climb back up the bank and walk along the ridge.
  31. current
    a steady flow of a fluid or gas
    Jacob, the current is pushing the boat away!
  32. rehabilitation
    the restoration of someone to a useful place in society
    The counselors said that it was best if we stayed in the rehabilitation center for a few weeks.
  33. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    Father argued. He wanted me home right away. But in the end, father relented.
  34. interrogate
    pose a series of questions to
    The police interrogated us.
  35. integrate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
    There were doctors, nurses, and social workers to tend to us, people who said that we must be reintegrated into society.
  36. torrent
    a heavy rain
    I feel like at any moment the LRA could flood into the city like a torrent of rain and take me away again.
  37. nobility
    elevation of mind and exaltation of character
    The lion is a mighty beast. He hunts with nobility. But when he is old and cast out of his pride, he too will kill to survive.
  38. pride
    a group of lions
    The lion is a mighty beast. He hunts with nobility. But when he is old and cast out of his pride, he too will kill to survive.
  39. destiny
    the circumstances or condition to which someone is fated
    This is my destiny. I feel it.
  40. anguish
    extreme distress of body or mind
    To think back to those times causes me great anguish, but it has brought insight too.
  41. insight
    clear or deep perception of a situation
    To think back to those times causes me great anguish, but it has brought insight too.
  42. hindsight
    understanding the nature of an event after it has happened
    Hindsight allows me to see Michael, the boy who called himself Lizard, as both a victim and an enemy.
  43. trek
    any long and difficult trip
    After many dangerous treks in the bush, Oteka arrives at my house is Gulu.
  44. accountable
    responsible for one's actions
    Where does the victim end and the criminal begin? Who do we punish? Who is accountable?
  45. waver
    be unsure or weak
    My faith wavered when I was a captive, but it has returned to me just as I have returned to my family.
Created on Fri Apr 19 08:52:27 EDT 2019 (updated Fri Apr 19 11:33:22 EDT 2019)

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