Not an Easy Win: Chapters 24–45

by Chrystal D. Giles
After getting expelled from a North Carolina middle school, twelve-year-old Lawrence McDonald starts helping out at a neighbor's recreation center, where he learns how to play chess and approach his life in more strategic moves.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–23, Chapters 24–45
30 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. prioritize
    assign a status in order of importance or urgency
    The best way to make a deal with someone is to find out what they need. “People will always prioritize their needs,” Pop used to say all the time.
  2. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
    “Who you talking to?” he asked, glaring at me as he strutted by on his way to the other side of the room.
  3. sulk
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
    The next day in the chess room, instead of setting up the chessboard, I cranked up Pop’s iPod loud, filled my head with Pop’s music, and waited by the door for Deuce to come sulking his way to the room. Just like clockwork, he moped in at three p.m.
  4. rambling
    straying from the main point or covering a range of subjects
    I have to admit I wasn’t paying much attention to Nikko’s rambling, but when she said she’d chosen Booker T. Washington as her historical figure, my ears perked up.
  5. tempo
    the speed at which a composition is to be played
    There was this part of Twyla’s book that talked about tempo being one move. The book almost made chess sound like music, in a way. It reminded me of how each beat came together to make up a whole song. I needed to make a move—but I also needed to create the tempo for this game and play to my own beat.
  6. pivotal
    being of crucial importance
    This move was pivotal, kinda like getting three red pieces stacked on top of each other in Connect Four.
  7. counter
    take action to oppose or deal with ahead of time
    I took Mr. Dennis’s advice and looked at the whole board before making a move. I tried to play out how Lin would counter before I moved each piece.
  8. brutal
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    So there I was, holding the table down while also pushing it away from my leg and at the same time trying not to die from the heat beating down on my head. It had gotten hotter in just a week’s time. And the sun definitely was more brutal here than in Charlotte.
  9. bass
    the lowest part of the musical range
    I pressed play and handed Deuce an earbud. One, two, three…and then we were off. Full speed on a roller coaster over low bass and fast lyrics, zooming across the beat.
  10. pulpit
    a platform raised to give prominence to the person on it
    I bet Granny’s hymns took her to church. Maybe even behind the pulpit.
  11. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    “We need one pound of ground beef.” Nik casually read from the box like we hadn’t just been face to face with Twyla and her mom.
  12. tame
    correct by punishment or discipline
    Trying to tame eight-year-olds was much easier when they weren’t hungry.
  13. submit
    refer for judgment or consideration
    I submitted my work on time (early for most assignments) and never had to deal with Billy or Mr. Spacey.
  14. cadence
    a recurrent rhythmical series
    When she slowed down the cadence of the match—which was her signature strategy—I slowed the beats in my mind.
  15. quench
    satisfy, as thirst
    Lin jumped in: “I got the juice to quench any thirst. The sweet stuff that make you wanna…curse?”
  16. hype
    blatant or sensational promotion
    “I got the flavor. The hype. The flow. Bars dripping with juice. Ayyyy, you betta know.”
  17. counselor
    someone who gives advice about problems
    “I…um…I’m seeing this counselor lady, and we talk about music sometimes.”
  18. secure
    make certain of
    “We’ll be ramping up to two tournament days a week from here on out. It’s safe to say your spot is secured, but now you need to focus on beating Twyla to get better. Steel sharpens steel.”
  19. decent
    sufficient for the purpose
    I’d finally made it to the last day of school! Not that I had been in school in a while, but I’d submitted my last online assignment, and Ma had gotten a letter recommending that I be promoted to the eighth grade. Which meant I was actually a decent student, just like the rest of the kids at Andrew Jackson.
  20. straightforward
    free from ambiguity
    “How does it work?” Lin asked.
    “It’s pretty straightforward. There are two buttons here. When a person makes a move, they stop their clock and it starts the opponent’s clock.”
  21. convention
    a large formal assembly
    We rode past the NASCAR Hall of Fame and then the Charlotte Convention Center, where the chess tournament would be the next day.
  22. massive
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    A massive banner hung from the ceiling inside: CHARLOTTE CLASSIC: JUNIOR CHESS TOURNAMENT.
  23. preppy
    characteristic of a student at a private school
    Most of the kids were white, with preppy haircuts and polo shirts and too-starched khakis.
  24. khaki
    a sturdy type of cloth that is a light brown color
    Most of the kids were white, with preppy haircuts and polo shirts and too-starched khakis.
  25. practically
    almost; nearly
    When Deuce stopped walking, I could practically see steam rising from his body. His eyes were narrowed like darts—they weren’t shooting at me this time, but they were locked and ready.
  26. escort
    accompany
    Deuce and Junior were escorted out of the convention center by security.
  27. accordingly
    in agreement with
    Then Chessboard Jacket turned to me and Twyla and gave us a wide-eyed warning about how we’d be next if we couldn’t “follow the rules and handle yourselves accordingly.”
  28. churn
    be agitated
    My stomach churned. We—me and my stomach—had to get it together; it was time to compete.
  29. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    I was controlling the beat now.
    David was getting flustered, moving without thinking.
  30. compliment
    say something to someone that expresses praise
    Charity was actually nice, though, and whispered, “Good game,” after “checkmate.”
    Even though I’d lost, it felt pretty awesome to have her compliment my game.
Created on Tue Aug 13 09:36:12 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Aug 13 12:50:41 EDT 2024)

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