1. Jessie mentions that he "spent three months in Andersonville, surviving its horrors, I often thought, because I'd been prepared for them on The Moonlight." What exactly was Andersonville? Compose a paper that explains how the horrors of Andersonville were similar to those experienced on board The Moonlight.

2. Jessie notes several key locations during his journey, such as New Orleans, the Bight of Benin, Whydah, and Cuba. Based on these place references, what was the approximate path of The Moonlight? Was this a common route for slave ships? Write a report that outlines Jessie's route and illustrate it on a map alongside other major 19th-century trade routes.

3. To Be a Slave (1968) by Julius Lester was a Newbery Honor Book in 1969; Sounder won the Newbery Medal in 1970; and The Slave Dancer received the award in 1974. All three books address the mistreatment of Black individuals in American history—To Be a Slave and The Slave Dancer during the era of slavery, and Sounder during the 1930s Depression. Write a paper discussing the social changes in America throughout the 1960s and early 1970s that enabled authors to tackle painful aspects of Black history. Do you believe these books would have been as positively recognized before the civil rights movement in America?

4. Write a paper comparing The Slave Dancer to either Sounder or To Be A Slave. In what ways are these books similar? Indicate which book you prefer and explain your reasons.

5. Some critics have argued that Fox conveniently eliminated all the evil on The Moonlight by ending the book with a shipwreck. Do you believe Fox adequately addressed the issue of the slave trade's evils? Should Jessie have experienced more personal growth from his ordeal, rather than being left with the permanent scars he mentions at the book's conclusion? If you find the ending unsettling, rewrite it and explain why your version is an improvement.

6. Early in the book, Jessie notes, "this very day I'd seen six Africans offered up for sale as cane hands. They had been dressed as if they were going to a ball, even to the white gloves they were all wearing. 'These niggers are matchless!' the auctioneer had cried, at which point I was picked up bodily by a man as hairy as a dray horse, thrown to the pavement, and told to stay away from the slave market until I had something better in mind than nasty peeking." Jessie is again roughly handled when kidnapped, and later in the story, the slaves are dressed up for a drunken dance before a storm. Identify other recurring actions or words in the novel. What purpose does this repetition serve?

7. Early in the book, Jessie’s Aunt Agatha suggests that he should be "apprenticed and learn a trade." Following his journey, Jessie becomes an apprentice to an apothecary. What did being an apprentice entail in the nineteenth century? Do young people still pursue apprenticeships today? Write a paper that outlines a typical nineteenth-century apprenticeship and contrasts it with how a young person might learn a similar profession today.

8. Paula Fox did not alter historical events in The Slave Dancer to align with contemporary social norms. In what ways do the characters in the book demonstrate attitudes that most people today find objectionable? How does the book reflect changes in American attitudes from 1840 to the present?

9. Fox aims for Jessie's narrative to mimic nineteenth-century speech and writing styles. How does she give his prose an antiquated feel? Pay attention to the formal and old-fashioned words Jessie uses, as well as the length, structure, and punctuation of some of his sentences. Try writing a book report on The Slave Dancer using this kind of "old" language style.