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Troublemaker: Chapters 1–6

When riots break out in Los Angeles, sixth-grader Jordan Park decides he must go to his family's store to protect his father.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapter 7–Epilogue
30 words 125 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. casual
    without or seeming to be without plan or method; offhand
    “Oh, Jordan, you’re home?” she says in Korean. She says it all casual like she’s here every day when I get home from school, like I’m not the one who should be saying, “Oh, Umma, you're home?”
  2. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    I scoff, but I can feel my shoulders slumping.
    Mr. Martins doesn’t need to tell me what a disappointment I am to my parents.
  3. grim
    not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
    He locks his eyes on mine, his mouth set in a grim line.
  4. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    Uh-oh. Did I overestimate how safe my secrets are with him? My face flushes. Is he going to rat me out to Umma and Appa after all?
  5. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    “You can never be too careful,” Umma says back. She sounds exasperated, angry.
  6. wisp
    a thin tuft, piece, or amount of something
    She’s too focused, pushing the little wisps of hair falling from her stubby ponytail out of her eyes and reaching for the coat closet.
  7. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    The closet door’s always been too flimsy, teetering on loose tracks, and Umma’s pulled it open so hard it finally gave up and jumped the tracks. The whole mirrored door cracks and explodes into shards on the floor.
  8. furrow
    a slight depression in the smoothness of a surface
    He stares and I stare back, right at his bushy eyebrows and the permanent furrow in his brow like God stuck his thumb there for too long and left a dent.
  9. brace
    prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
    It’s the first time we’ve really made eye contact since the Big Fight.
    I’m bracing myself all over.
  10. fray
    wear away by rubbing
    Then he reaches into the doorless coat closet and grabs his jacket, takes his car keys off the hook on the wall, puts on his shoes with the fraying laces, and leaves.
  11. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    You can tell she’s seething with anger, but her voice is controlled, and she doesn’t take her eyes off the camera, not once.
  12. excessive
    beyond normal limits
    “On March third, 1991, this tape, provided by witness George Holliday, who captured the events on his video camera, was released of Sergeant Stacey Koon and Officers Laurence Powell, Theodore Briseno, and Timothy Wind using excessive force and brutality against motorist Rodney King,” a news reporter states.
  13. unrest
    a state of turbulent change or agitation
    “Today, at the trial in Simi Valley, all four officers were declared not guilty. Since the verdict was announced, unrest has been building in the city of Los Angeles. We cut now to live footage in South Central, where there have been reports of escalating violence.”
  14. lag
    hang or fall in movement, progress, development, etc.
    The story goes that he lagged behind the other soldiers to stay close to his friend who was slower and weaker than the rest.
  15. piercing
    painful as if caused by a sharp instrument
    For a minute when we were watching the news, I forgot about the suspension. But now it comes back, fresh and piercing like a bee sting.
  16. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    I wipe my hands on my jeans ’cause they’re all clammy before going to the kitchen to grab the phone from Sarah.
  17. tempt
    dispose, incline, or entice to
    To be honest, on another day, I might have been tempted to say yes. Ben’s another friend from church who sometimes invites us over to play Super Nintendo.
  18. fumble
    handle clumsily
    There’s a fumbling sound as the receiver’s passed over and then Mike’s older brother’s voice comes through the phone.
  19. shuffle
    walk by dragging one's feet
    Harabeoji rises from the table and shuffles to the living room for his post-dinner nap on the couch.
  20. beeline
    the most direct route
    I leave the kitchen too, making a beeline for my room.
  21. static
    crackling or hissing noise caused by electrical interference
    She waves a vague hand in the air, half at me, half at nothing, or maybe it’s the rest of the world, the staticky Korean voices coming from Umma’s radio.
  22. stuffy
    lacking fresh air
    Hae Dang drives with all the windows down. He says it’s because the air conditioner is broken and it gets too stuffy in here.
  23. queasy
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
    I take a deep breath, leaning my head back against the seat. I do it to try to calm myself down as we drive to the freeway, out of Glendale, past streetlamps and palm trees, but it doesn’t help much. My stomach feels queasy.
  24. sliver
    (figurative) a small or narrow piece or slice
    From the light coming in through the glass front doors and the slivers through the window blinds, I make out the tile flooring, black and white, with brown cushioned booths lined up against the walls.
  25. paranoid
    suffering from delusions of persecution or grandeur
    My dad closed shop early today ’cause he got all spooked about the riots. They’re not even close to here. He’s paranoid.
  26. muffled
    being or made softer or less loud or clear
    The sound is muffled through the glass door.
  27. frantic
    marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion
    There’s the frantic jingling of keys, like he’s trying to look for the right one.
  28. slump
    fall or sink heavily
    I slump down next to Mike. His hand’s covering his ankle and he’s wincing.
  29. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    Only when we turn around and see that the officer is gone does Mike sag against my shoulders again, grimacing. “I think I’m going to need a break soon,” he says.
  30. rustle
    make a dry crackling sound
    “What do you think?” I say, jumping again, the tree rustling. “I’m trying to get you a cane.”
Created on Tue May 02 11:15:41 EDT 2023 (updated Thu May 18 12:52:09 EDT 2023)

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