The Slave Dancer (Laurel-Leaf Historical Fiction) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "In a hinged wooden box upon the top of which was carved a winged fish, my mother kept the tools of her trade..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ben Stout, Nicholas Spark, Benjamin Stout (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fox has woven a spellbinding tale of suspense and survival that will horrify as well as fascinate..."

-- Library Journal (starred review)

"A story that movingly and realistically presents one of the most gruesome chapters of history, with all the violence, inhuman conditions, and bestial aspects of human nature -- exposed but never exploited in Fox's graphic, documentary prose."

-- Booklist (starred review) --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description

This powerful story of slavery tells the tale of 13-year-old Jesse, snatched from the docks of New Orleans and thrown aboard a slave ship to play his fife so the captured slaves will dance and keep their muscles strong. Jesse yearns for an end to the horrors, but one final horror awaits him. 1974 Newbery Medal. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812417763
• ISBN-13: 978-0812417760
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,606,632 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deadly dancing, February 3, 2001

By	Krista (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Slave Dancer (Paperback)

Jesse Boller is a New Orleans teenager of the 1800s with a fondness for playing the fife. His musical inclination results in big trouble when he is kidnapped and taken to work on a slave ship. His job on the ship is to play the fife while the slaves are forced to "dance," supposedly to keep their bodies strong.

Jesse, who has never given much thought to slavery, recoils at the treatment of the slaves, treatment that was typical for its time, I suspect. Paula Fox does an especially good job of delving into the psyches of the men who voluntarily serve on the ship's crew, people who are not evil by nature, but whose constant rejection of the horror of slavery has inured them to normal human emotion.

A shipwreck during the book's course leads towards a somewhat dubious conclusion. For the most part, though, Fox skillfully carries us into the experience on the ship. We smell the stench, feel the claustrophobic crowding, and experience disbelief and outrage right along with Jesse. This book is a reminder of the unspeakable horrors that people -- even so-called decent people -- can inflict upon each other.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tuckahoe Fourth Grader Who Enjoyed This Book, March 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Slave Dancer (Paperback)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, February 21, 2000

By	J. Erway (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Slave Dancer (Hardcover)

I read this novel when it was assigned to my child's fifth grade class. The book provides vivid imagery of a young boy's kidnapping and forced servitude aboard a slave ship. Fox's skillful narrative style is filled with detailed description and allegory. However, I must strongly disagree with Amazon's (and the publisher's?) classification of the novel as a book for 9-12 year olds. The vocabulary is so difficult that myself and my husband, both of us well read, college educated people, did not know some of the words. It also deals with cruel happenings and racism in such a way that I believe make the book suitable only for more mature readers. Therefore, I would recommend this chronicle only for readers 13 years and older.