Omar Rising: Chapters 29–46

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 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. iridescent
    varying in color when seen in different lights
    He retrieves a bottle and a brush from the supply shelf and hands it to me. “This is an iridescent white. It’ll make Pluto shine. Try it. You can always collage over it if it doesn’t work."
  2. hallucinate
    have illusions; perceive what is not actually there
    “Did I just hallucinate?” I ask, turning to Kareem.
    “Yep. You’re hallucinating, Omar.”
    “No. Seriously.” I straighten. “Did I miss something?”
  3. flourish
    a showy gesture
    He bows with a flourish.
  4. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    Is he trying to intimidate us? Hoping we’ll slink away under his gaze?
  5. scrounge
    collect or look around for
    You scrounge for dessert?
  6. disperse
    move away from each other
    The final bell of the day rings. Everyone disperses through the halls.
  7. imposing
    impressive in appearance
    "How can I help you?” the receptionist asks once I’m at the imposing wooden counter.
  8. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    Gingerly, I sit down.
  9. perplexing
    lacking clarity of meaning
    “But it has so many rules and exceptions.”
    “There are quite a lot,” he agrees. “But once you know them, it’s second nature. My own son found it perplexing as well when I walked him through it many a moon ago.”
  10. inspire
    supply the idea for
    “But...I didn’t even copy Shehzil Malik’s work or even come close to it.”
    "That’s right. This piece represents you, inspired by her. And I have to say Pluto’s looking very stubbornly optimistic.”
  11. commendable
    worthy of high praise
    I know you’re a bright boy. Your improvement is commendable.
  12. silver lining
    a positive aspect of a difficult situation
    I don’t want him to try and make us feel better. Try to say that there’s a way out. A silver lining. Because there is none. The sky has fallen and it’s landed squarely on my head. There’s nothing and no one that can fix this.
  13. ado
    a great deal of fuss, concern, or commotion
    “As a reminder, we’re going through multiple presentations per class to stay on track, so please stick to the ten-minute limit. Now, without further ado, our first PowerPoint presentation.”
  14. resistance
    group action in opposition to those in power
    “She talks about justice,” I say. “Resistance. She was one of the artists behind the Women’s March in Islamabad.”
  15. graze
    scrape gently
    A paper ball grazes my elbow.
  16. collective
    done by or characteristic of individuals acting together
    “I’m getting kicked out of school.”
    There’s a collective gasp.
  17. province
    the territory in an administrative district of a nation
    I’ve memorized provinces and countries and capitals.
  18. escort
    accompany
    “They probably have people to escort us off campus if we refuse to leave,” Naveed says.
  19. strew
    spread by scattering
    There are boxes strewn all over filled with newspaper clippings and odds and ends like buttons and leftover construction paper and clipped ribbons.
  20. collaboration
    act of working jointly
    “What sort of collaboration do we have here?”
    All of us startle.
  21. waver
    be unsure or weak
    "Of course not! You can’t be part of this.”
    “I wanted to.” Kareem’s voice wavers.
  22. revoke
    cancel officially
    “As much as it will hurt to get kicked out, I’d feel a million times worse if you got your scholarship revoked because of me. Your father’s right. You can’t walk out.”
  23. furtive
    secret and sly
    Maybe it’s because I barely slept all night, but I’m noticing every little thing. The furtive glance Humza sends in my direction. How Naveed can’t stop biting his nails. Aiden constantly checking the clock.
  24. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    The thought of getting up and walking out in the middle of class makes my own palms feel clammy.
  25. falter
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
    Someone slides into lockstep with me. I falter when I see who it is.
  26. hoarse
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness
    The chants get louder. I shout alongside the others until my throat grows hoarse.
  27. disposition
    your usual mood
    I take in his dark glasses, his fancy suit, his firm disposition.
  28. establish
    institute or enact
    The scholarship requirements were established well before my time.
  29. premier
    first in rank or degree
    “Or maybe you’ll be Pakistan’s premier collage artist?”
  30. knack
    a special way of doing something
    “You’ve got quite a knack for that, too!”
  31. insignia
    a distinguishing mark or symbol
    The letter on her lap is not her acceptance letter. The blue-and-yellow eagle insignia of Ghalib Academy is stamped on the front.
  32. emboss
    raise in a relief
    I take the envelope from her. I stare at the embossed seal.
  33. resolve
    reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation
    The board has reviewed your petition for an amendment to the rules governing scholarship students and, after careful consideration, has resolved to amend the grade-point-average standards for scholarship students.
  34. institute
    set up or lay the groundwork for
    We will also be instituting a probationary period for those who fall below so they can receive extra guidance and counseling.
  35. trustee
    a member of a governing board
    We are pleased to welcome your return as a student at Ghalib Academy.
    Sincerely,
    Ghalib Board of Trustees
Created on Thu Jun 08 11:11:07 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Jun 09 10:32:37 EDT 2023)

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