The Slave Dancer

Fox, Paula. (1973). The slave dancer. New York: Dell Publishing.

Reading Level: Grades 5-9

Summary:
Jessie is a young boy who lives in New Orleans in the mid 1800s. His family is poor, and Jessie makes a bit of money playing his fife in the streets. One day when Jessie is wandering around the city, he is kidnapped by sailors and forced to work on the boat The Moonlight. Jessie soon learns that his real job is to make slaves dance, to ensure they remain healthy, by playing his fife. The Slave Dancer explores Jessie's feelings about working on a slave ship, and also how the other crew members feel about the slaves.

Comments:
This book is a good portrayal of the evils of slave ships. There are also some moments on the ship where the focus is not entirely on the fact that it is a slave ship, which adds complexity. The actual writing style of the book is not overly engaging, but the subject matter and dialogue make up for it. One thing I found disturbing was the use of the "n" word. The word is used often in the book, but another word could always be used. The Slave Dancer is a good introduction to this historical period, and to some of the feelings towards slavery at the time.

Rating: 3/5