My name is William Henry Lane, but when I dance I call myself Master Juba, and people I know just call me Juba. Juba is a dance that black people do in the South. They say it comes from Africa. I don’t know about that, but most dancers in Five Points give themselves a stage name, so I settled on Juba. It has a nice ring to it.

This engaging historical novel is based on the true story of the meteoric rise of an immensely talented young black dancer who influenced today’s tap, jazz dance, and step. With meticulous and intensive research, Walter Dean Myers has brought to life Juba’s story.