"Good Conversation!" A Talk with Paula Fox
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Paula Fox
Join the Newbery Award-winning author of "The Slave Dancer" for a talk about reading, writing, and the importance of imagination.
- 20 minutes
Questions for classroom discussion and assignments:
- Paula Fox says her book "The Slave Dancer" came from a footnote in a book called "The Middle Passage" (a story of the slave trade in America). The footnote explains that young boys who could play the fife were kidnapped in England. Their job was to perform on ships going to America, to exercise the slaves who would dance to the music. Research other facts about the slave trade, slave laws, and the lives of slaves. These facts can be put into a class book about slavery.
- The author is asked, “What is evil?” She says that evil is when ordinary human beings doing terrible things. Discuss examples of this type of evil and write about them.
- Paula Fox likes to write about the underdog, who she defines as someone without a smile on his or her face. Make up your own “underdog” character and write an episode in this person’s life.
- Paula Fox describes her father and her relationship with him. Write about the special things you do with your father, mother, brothers or sisters.
- Paula loved the library as a young girl. Discuss your own favorite places to spend time, at home or outside. Then pick a favorite place, and write about spending one full hour there and what you would do.