The Slave Dancer

I teach reading to both Junior and Senior high school students so I am always looking for superior adolescent literature. The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox, winner of the Newbery Medal for most distinguished contribution to American literature for children in 1974, is a good choice. The novel, set in 1840, revolves around Jesse Boller, a teenage boy from New Orleans. Because Jessie enjoys playing the fife, he is kidnapped and forced to work on The Moonlight, a slave ship. His job is to play the fife while the slaves are forced to dance. I have read elsewhere that dancing the slaves supposedly kept some muscle tone during the long voyage. We see the voyage through the eyes of young Jesse, a boy who had never thought much about slavery. Men who have compromised with evil and greed surround him and, in a way, he too has been enslaved. During the voyage, he learns about the flawed men who now control his life and the lives of the 98 slaves locked in the hold. The novel could certainly be used in middle or high school literature, English or even history classes. It is fiction but it depicts historical events well. In my high school reading class we completed the novel in just over six weeks. The book is written for adolescent readers. Sex and violence is told of but not described in lurid detail. However, the `N' word is used to describe the slaves on multiple occasions. Because slavers, not Jesse, use the term, I feel it adds to the brutal picture of the time. A vocabulary list of nautical and archaic terms might be helpful for class reading. This is not the kind of book you enjoy, this is the kind of book you think about. I recommend it for adolescent or young adult readers. Kyle Pratt

This book is about aboy named Jessie.He gets taken on a slave ship. He is taken because he plays the flute for the black slaves. He meets the captian, Caqptian Cawthorne, who is cruel. They finally sell the slaves to the Spaniards. The American ship sees them and destroys the boat. He metws a black boy, they become friends, then sometime later Jessie goes back home. I read this book because it was exciting. I read it because a friend told me about this book. My mom bought it for me. I read it and liked it. It was very interesting. The cover helped me to read this book. My favorite part was when Jessie met the balck boy named Ras. First they were complete strangers on the ship. Then when the American ship attacked they swam together. They got through the sea and came to an island. THey meet a man nameed Daniel who helps them both get home. They are grateful for surviving this disaster.

The year is 1840. Thirteen year old Jessie Bollier is walking home through the streets of New Orleans when he is kidnapped. The kidnappers put him on a slaver, a boat that goes to Africa to get slaves and bring them to America to be sold. On his journey he sees the horrors of slavery and he is sickened. The book's title comes from Jessie's job: Jessies job is to play his fife so the slaves will dance and get exercise. Then they can be sold for higher prices. During the journey, to keep the slave ship from being stopped, all but one of the slaves - a young boy named Ras - are thrown into the shark-filled waters. Then a storm hits and Jessie and Ras hide below. Will the ship sink? Will Jessie and Ras survive? Will Jessie be able to go home? To find out, read this exciting book. My favorite part is when Purvis, an older sailor, befriends Jessie by telling him jokes and giving him hope. I recommend this book to people who like historic fiction and who like exciting but sad stories.