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The Slave Dancer (Paperback)

by Paula Fox (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: tarred rope, The Moonlight, Ben Stout, Nicholas Spark (more...)

3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (131 customer reviews)

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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 moving production of the Newbery Award-winning children's classic tells the story of Jessie, a young boy snatched off the docks in New Orleans and thrown aboard a slave ship in a suspenseful and horrifying depiction of survival.

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Product Details

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf Books (March 12, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440961327
ISBN-13: 978-0440961321
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces

Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (131 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #571,755 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#5 in Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( F ) > Fox, Paula

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
In a hinged wooden box upon the top of which was carved a winged fish, my mother kept the tools of her trade. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tarred rope

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Moonlight, Ben Stout, Nicholas Spark, Benjamin Stout, Sam Wick, Captain Cawthorne, Isaac Porter, New Orleans, Seth Smith, Claudius Sharkey, Ned Grime, Jessie Bollier, Mississippi River

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Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 24 books:

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes in Front Matter, and Back Matter
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare in Front Matter, and Back Matter
One-Eyed Cat by Paula Fox in Front Matter, and Back Matter
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder in Back Matter
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli in Back Matter

See all 24 books this book cites

100 books cite this book:

What Else Should I Read? Guiding Kids to Good Books, Vol. 2 by Matt Berman on 5 pages
Newbery and Caldecott Trivia and More for Every Day of the Year: by Claudette Hegel on 4 pages
Quizzes for 220 Great Children's Books: The Quest Motivational Reading Program (Through Children's Literature) by Polly Jeanne Wickstrom on 4 pages
Honey for a Teen's Heart by Gladys Hunt on page 62, page 196, and page 283
Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults: Reflections on Critical Issues (Contributions to the Study of World Literature) by Mingshui Cai on page 78, page 80, and page 90

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	90% buy the item featured on this page: The Slave Dancer 3.3 out of 5 stars (131)
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Customer Reviews

131 Reviews

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(31)

Average Customer Review

3.3 out of 5 stars (131 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 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

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.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tuckahoe Fourth Grader Who Enjoyed This Book, March 14, 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.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading for those who might best benefit from it, October 26, 2002

By	S. Silverman "ReaderGeode" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A mid-70's Newbery winner, and a gem. With Out of the Dust, and Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, the very finest Newbery has to offer in historical fiction. The reading level may be late elementary or early middle school, but the content calls for later middle school or high school. The details of abducting and carrying slaves, their treatment at the hands of their transporters, the crude and often cruel behavior of the ship's crew, and the horrors of shipboard life make the themes tough for sensitive younger readers. It will provide a young reader with a thoroughly unsettling look at an unseemly part of American history. The main character, the white boy kidnapped from the streets of New Orleans in 1840 to play his fife to encourage the slaves to dance, is a good, clear, child's view of things, properly aghast and open-minded, the pleasant part of the story and its first person teller. What Slave Dancer gives is brilliant in its clarity and horror. I recommend it highly with the caveats above.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Slave Dancer
Very good book! This is a Newbery Award winner. I'm a retired 7th grade reading teacher. I required my students to write their book reports on Newbery winners, only. Read more

Published on March 8, 2007 by B. Guider

4.0 out of 5 stars To Dance With Slaves....
The title sais it all. The slave dancer by paula Fox is a great short for experienced readers. The andventure of the plot will catch your Attention faster than Jessie can play... Read more

Published on March 8, 2007

5.0 out of 5 stars The slave dancer
What I think about the book is that it great and exicting story line and my favorite part is when they get the horrible diease. Read more

Published on November 27, 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, thought provoking story
I teach reading to both Junior and Senior high school students so I am always looking for superior adolescent literature. Read more

Published on November 4, 2006 by Kyle Pratt

4.0 out of 5 stars Poetic
Finished another one late at night. This one had a poetic spirit from the beginning to the end - from the fragrant spools of thread to the music at the end. Read more

Published on October 30, 2006 by Rosamede

3.0 out of 5 stars Boring?
I have to read this book over the summer for advanced 7th grade English.I have read many reviews,and some people said that this book is very boring. Read more

Published on July 10, 2006

3.0 out of 5 stars Slave Dancer Book Review
A young Jessie Bollier is captured from his home in New Orleans and sent to work on a boat going to Africa. Read more

Published on June 5, 2006 by linnea

3.0 out of 5 stars 06 slave dancer
Jessie is a typical 13 year old boy living in 1840. He has a mother who works as a dress maker and a younger sister. He loves to play the fife. Read more

Published on May 30, 2006

3.0 out of 5 stars Slave Dancer-06
Jessie is a typical 13 year old boy living in 1840. He has a mother who works as a dress maker and a younger sister. He loves to play the fife. Read more

Published on May 29, 2006

4.0 out of 5 stars The Slave Dancer
The Slave Dancer is a great but a very boring book. It is a book for HIGH LEVELED READERS only. I think it was a very dramatic story. Read more

Published on May 18, 2006

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