This Book Won't Burn: Chapters 31-42

by Samira Ahmed
After her father leaves her family, high school senior Noor Khan moves from Chicago to a small town, where she starts a movement to challenge the prejudiced book bans she finds at her new school.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-12, Chapters 13-22, Chapters 23-30, Chapters 31-42, Chapter 43-Epilogue
15 words 14 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pro bono
    done for the public good without compensation
    If my dad were here, I’m a hundred-percent sure he’d offer Ms. Clayton and the union his pro bono services.
  2. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
    “I didn’t abscond with the books from the school library. Sylvia and I have been collecting some of the challenged books from used bookshops and also scouring sales at other indies. We’re encouraging folks in our book club to join in and build small libraries in their yards, too. I was going to put these in my library.”
  3. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    A soft, embarrassed smile crosses my lips, and I internally berate myself for the nervous giddiness that’s apparently taking over my body.
  4. capitulation
    the act of surrendering, usually under agreed conditions
    “I don’t accept truces,” I say. “Only total capitulation.”
  5. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
    Of course my mom chose this second to thrust open the front door and ask me to run an errand. Parental timing is uncanny.
  6. devoid
    completely wanting or lacking
    “That was both somewhat mature but also weirdly dysfunctional and devoid of any discussion of feelings.”
  7. sacrilege
    blasphemous behavior
    They’re so pretty, but I immediately panic thinking about the sacrilege of ripping up a book to make this.
  8. deign
    do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
    “What if… what if we go as a group? If Juniper wants to go with Hanna or by herself or whatever. Faiz, too, if he’ll deign to be in the same car as me. We’ll rent a party limo. It’ll be fun.”
  9. circumvent
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    Students, apparently, have also gathered at the local VFW hall to read these banned books off school property, in attempts to circumvent district policy.
  10. remiss
    failing in what duty requires
    “Well, my wife and I have been meaning to stop by and welcome you to Bayberry. We’ve been remiss in letting this much time pass,” Steve Hawley, Andrew’s stepdad, says in an unnecessarily loud voice to my mother.
  11. provincial
    lacking sophistication or worldliness
    “And our little town might seem quiet, provincial even. But that’s how we like it here. Everyone getting along, doing their part. If nobody rocks the boat, the boat stays steady even in choppy waters. You get my drift?”
  12. apoplectic
    marked by extreme anger
    “Andrew needs to push back...Like, [his stepdad] must be apoplectic about you going to prom together.”
  13. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
    “Your petulant, foolish choices could blow up in our faces. Did you consider the consequences at all? You’re going to graduate and leave; Amal is still going to be here. Did you think about that? About her?”
  14. pretense
    the act of giving a false appearance
    Hawley is literally pointing at me—guess he’s given up the pretense of being nice.
  15. indoctrination
    teaching someone to accept beliefs uncritically
    This leftist philosophy, this union-backed indoctrination, has seeped into our curriculum and onto our school library shelves...
Created on Wed Jul 30 08:12:41 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Aug 26 18:54:33 EDT 2025)

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