Omar Rising: Chapters 1–5

by Aisha Saeed
In this companion novel to Amal Unbound, seventh grader Omar Ali, the first in his village to get into a prestigious boarding school in Pakistan, is determined to meet the academic and community service requirements to keep his scholarship.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–15, Chapters 16–28, Chapters 29–46
35 words 85 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
    “Admit it,” Zaki says. “Omar’s last goal was epic.”
    "Fine,” Fuad says grudgingly.
  2. ovation
    enthusiastic recognition
    Coming from Fuad, halfhearted praise is basically a standing ovation.
  3. scrimmage
    practice play between two teams
    Tomorrow, I head to boarding school: the Ghalib Academy for Boys. Which means very soon my home, my village, and scrimmage games like these will no longer be part of my ordinary, everyday life.
  4. destiny
    a course of events that will inevitably happen in the future
    Now better things are actually within reach, like college and a job that earns enough money to buy a home for my mother and me. A real home, with bedrooms and sofas and rugs, not a one-room space where we’ve strung up curtains that we pretend are walls. Ghalib is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rewrite my destiny.
  5. solemnly
    in a serious and dignified manner
    “But don’t say anything," says four-year-old Rabia, placing a finger solemnly on her lips. “It’s a surprise!”
  6. stricken
    affected by something overwhelming
    “It’s okay.” I laugh, looking at Amal’s stricken expression.
  7. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    “I just got lucky.” I flush.
  8. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    "It’s not every day someone from our village heads off to one of the most prestigious schools in Pakistan.”
  9. counter
    speak in response
    Fuad picks up a round laddu. “All right. Who can catch this in their mouth?”
    “What do I get if I do?” Zaki counters.
  10. orientation
    a course introducing a new situation or environment
    “Mr. Adeel said at orientation that the astronomy club is exploring exoplanets this year. I’m definitely joining that.”
  11. idle
    run disconnected
    Uncle’s motorcycle idles in the distance.
  12. rickshaw
    a small two-wheeled cart for one passenger
    I’ve never seen so many cars in one place. Back home, most of us get around on foot or motorcycles or take rickshaws.
  13. lanky
    tall and thin and having long slender limbs
    Tall, lanky, and full of jokes, he always kept a stash of candy on him and was quick to share it.
  14. icebreaker
    an initial activity to relax a tense or formal atmosphere
    I hoped bringing some would be a good icebreaker, but mostly I’m just hoping I’ll get a roommate as nice as him again.
  15. situate
    determine or indicate the place or limits of
    I lead Uncle across the main campus to where the dorms are situated.
  16. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    At the edge of the field there’s a wall with a mural teeming with students doing all sorts of cool stuff, like playing instruments, shooting hoops, scoring goals, and even doing science experiments.
  17. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    “Hey, roomie,” a voice calls out, and Kareem saunters into the room holding a worn duffel bag.
  18. crane
    stretch, so as to see better
    He cranes his neck to look out the window.
  19. gruff
    blunt and unfriendly or stern
    “Move over.” A gruff voice interrupts us.
  20. shalwar
    a pair of loose-fitting pants commonly worn in parts of Asia
    It’s a man in a three-piece suit accompanied by two servants in plain shalwar kamiz carrying enormous suitcases.
  21. stark
    devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
    I tack up my poster of the Milky Way. Kareem’s taping up a photo of cricket legend Wasim Akram by his bed. In a few minutes, our room looks a little less stark and a little more like us.
  22. wince
    make a face indicating disgust or dislike
    I wince at the term little sir. They don’t know I’m more like them than most people here.
  23. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    “I’d take Naveed’s snoring over this.” Kareem grimaces.
  24. stately
    impressive in appearance
    Maybe the room is small to him, but a prison cell? And this place, with its stately brick walls, winding pathways, and lush manicured lawns, a dump? Both of us are at the exact same school, but we see it so differently.
  25. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    Maybe the room is small to him, but a prison cell? And this place, with its stately brick walls, winding pathways, and lush manicured lawns, a dump? Both of us are at the exact same school, but we see it so differently.
  26. stifle
    conceal or hide
    I stifle a yawn as I sit up.
  27. maneuver
    move skillfully, as around obstacles or into a position
    Here we hurry from class to class as fast as we can to beat the bell. And there are so many people here. Elbows and shoulders knock against me as I race down the hallways. It’s like trying to maneuver through the asteroid belt.
  28. naan
    leavened bread baked in a clay oven in India
    We reach the food, and my mouth starts to water. Sizzling trays of chicken kardhai, saag, and steaming hot rice and naans rest underneath warming lights.
  29. replenish
    fill something that had previously been emptied
    A friendly man with neatly parted hair replenishes the naans as I approach.
  30. prompt
    something designed to elicit a response from a student
    “You mean the questionnaire with about five hundred prompts?” Kareem asks.
  31. trill
    sing or play alternating with the half note above or below
    A bell trills outside the door.
  32. jostle
    make one's way by pushing or shoving
    "Speed up!" Kareem urges me and Naveed as we jostle through the crowds.
  33. deficient
    falling short of some prescribed norm
    “English is where kids like you are most deficient.”
  34. scrawl
    write carelessly
    He goes over his expectations, but before I can scrawl any of it down, he’s passing out assignments for the week.
  35. piercing
    very perceptive
    I shift under his piercing gaze.
Created on Thu Jun 08 11:09:58 EDT 2023 (updated Thu Jul 20 16:19:57 EDT 2023)

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