Create a map and trace the path Jessie followed from his abduction in New Orleans to Africa, then to the shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico, and finally his journey back home to New Orleans. Also, determine the total miles Jessie traveled.

Despite the language barrier, Jessie and Ras share a deep bond. Even years later, Jessie continues to search for Ras, hoping to reunite with him one day. Why do you think this connection exists? How did the boys manage to communicate on the ship, during the shipwreck, and at Daniel's residence?

In the book, the enslaved individuals aboard The Moonlight do not revolt against their captors. In contrast, aboard the real ship Amistad in 1839, the enslaved people, led by Cinque, successfully rebelled and seized control of the vessel until it reached Long Island. Research the Amistad uprising and compare and contrast it with the events in The Slave Dancer. What ultimately happened to those on the Amistad?

Jessie spends three days and nights trekking alone through the woods from Mississippi to New Orleans. If you were in a similar situation, what essentials would you need to survive? Jessie had very few resources. What is the minimum amount of food and equipment you think would be necessary for survival? What would be your greatest fear and why?

Ras is sent north with Daniel's friends, presumably towards freedom. Although Jessie searches for him, he never locates Ras. What do you think became of Ras? Write a story depicting his life, starting from when he left Daniel's hut in the Mississippi forests.

In 1840 New Orleans, impoverished children were expected to work. If you lived during that time and had to start working at age thirteen, what kind of job could you have taken to support your family?

In Interracial Books for Children, Binnie Tate commented that "through the characters' words, [Fox] excuses the captors and places the blame for the slaves' captivity on Africans themselves. The author slowly and systematically excuses all the whites in the story for their participation in the slave venture and by innuendo places the blame elsewhere." Do you agree with this viewpoint? Why or why not?