Garvey's Choice: Garvey's Choice

by Nikki Grimes
Garvey loves reading and astronomy, but his father pressures him to be an athlete. Then Garvey is chosen as a soloist in the school choir — and music might provide a way for him and his father to connect.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. origami
    the art of folding paper
    Mom’s got a talent
    for origami, but she
    can’t fold me into
    the jock Dad wants me to be.
  2. throttle
    a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
    For now, I strap on
    chapter four of Mars Rescue,
    study the console,
    then ease back on the throttle
    for a smooth flight through star fields.
  3. antidote
    a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison
    Antidote

    Dinner-table talk
    is magically washed away
    on a sea of song
    the minute I clamp on my
    trusty earphones and push PLAY.
  4. spatter
    spot, splash, or soil
    She spatters me with laughter.
  5. supernova
    a star that explodes and becomes luminous in the process
    With window cracked wide,
    we telescope the night sky
    trailing Orion,
    dreaming of supernovas,
    mapping the stars for hours.
  6. snag
    catch or cause to catch on something sharp that is sticking out
    All evening long, I
    try tucking in my sadness,
    but it keeps getting
    snagged on my voice when I speak.
  7. seep
    pass gradually or leak or as if through small openings
    The words seep into me, then
    leave my cheeks wet and salty.
  8. conspiracy
    a secret agreement to perform an unlawful act
    She winks at me—sign
    of our conspiracy. Score!
  9. pawn
    the least powerful piece in chess
    Mom gets her chess set,
    teaches me about
    bishops, knights, pawns, then
    says, “Football is fine, but this
    is exercise for your brain!”
  10. cobbler
    a pie made of fruit with rich biscuit dough on top
    An extra helping
    of Mom’s famous peach cobbler
    earns me a death glare
    from guess who?
  11. serpentine
    resembling a snake in form
    Bring it on! More days with Joe
    and fewer with Dad
    who’s still mad I didn’t spend break
    practicing serpentine runs.
  12. checkmate
    an inescapable attack on an opponent's king, in chess
    Checkmate

    Turns out, Mom was right.
    My brain’s beginning to bulge
    with brand new muscles.
  13. foil
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Foiled

    I need a new plan.
    Some dumb kid named Todd
    tried to be hilarious.
  14. stealthy
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    Stealthy Dresser

    After a quick lunch,
    I hit the boy’s locker room
    five minutes early
  15. contemplate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I near cracked a sweat
    just contemplating the run.
  16. stagger
    walk with great difficulty
    I stagger upstairs,
    flip on something with a groove,
    and sing my way into math.
  17. octave
    a musical interval of eight tones
    My voice skips octaves
    like a smooth stone on a lake.
  18. tenor
    an adult male with a voice above baritone
    “Well, class,” says the director.
    “Guess we found our new tenor.”
  19. pact
    a written agreement between two states or sovereigns
    Pact

    I float up our stairs,
    breeze into Angela’s room,
    forgetting to knock.
  20. croissant
    a very rich, flaky, crescent-shaped roll
    Out comes a croissant
    crammed with guacamole and
    two kinds of cheeses
    that are not American.
  21. guacamole
    a dip made of mashed avocado
    Out comes a croissant
    crammed with guacamole and
    two kinds of cheeses
    that are not American.
  22. gawk
    look with amazement
    Manny sees me gawking.
  23. wither
    lose freshness, vigor, or vitality
    Angela withers.
    “I’m sorry, Garvey,” she says.
  24. scrumptious
    extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
    Sharing Manny’s scrumptious lunch
    means more money for music!
  25. jalapeno
    hot green or red pepper
    Grilled portobello
    with roasted peppers, onions,
    sliced jalapeños,
    topped with melted Havarti
    makes my taste buds want to dance.
  26. croon
    sing softly
    I can’t wait to sing the song,
    croon my own untold story.
  27. recital
    performance of music or dance especially by soloists
    Our first recital!
    Dad proudly takes me shopping
    for a brand new suit.
  28. grit
    clench together
    My waist a stranger
    I haven’t seen in ages,
    I grit my teeth, speak
    the truth: My body’s chunky.
    Who cares?
  29. cringe
    draw back, as with fear, pain, or embarrassment
    During the applause,
    I search for him in the crowd,
    catch him with head bowed,
    cringe, certain I’ve failed again
    till I see Dad wipe his eyes.
  30. aftermath
    the consequences of an event, especially a catastrophic one
    Aftermath

    Sis bounces up, flings
    an arm across my shoulder,
    staking out her claim.
  31. envy
    spite and resentment at seeing the success of another
    I watch his eyes turn
    an envy green, a color
    I have never seen him wear.
  32. grim
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    Grim shadows, problems
    haunt us all—round, thin, short, tall.
  33. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    “I’ve been hearing about you,”
    both begin in unison,
    then we three drown in laughter.
  34. bass
    having or denoting a low vocal or instrumental range
    You should hear how his
    bluesy bass rhythms rock my
    high-tenor melodies—sweet!
  35. tanka
    a Japanese verse form of 5 lines with 5 or 7 syllables
    Tanka is an ancient poetry form, originally from Japan.
Created on Fri Sep 13 16:01:39 EDT 2019 (updated Mon Sep 16 10:06:12 EDT 2019)

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