1. Compare Nightjohn to either The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox or Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier.

Discuss the authors' strengths and weaknesses in the following categories: realistic portrayal of slavery, historical accuracy, and African-American dialect.

2. Read The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, a classic slave autobiography. Summarize Douglass's comments on the relationship between slavery and illiteracy.

3. Research the historical efforts of missionaries, antislavery groups, and black organizations to promote literacy among slaves despite legal prohibitions.

4. Mildred Taylor, author of the Logan family stories about black life in Depression-era Mississippi, depicts racism forcefully because she believes it is never too early to teach children about social problems. Compare one of her novels to Nightjohn, focusing on the authors' efforts to illuminate the grim realities of American race relations.

4. Nightjohn illustrates how Southern whites kept slaves from...