The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible . . . on Schindler's List Paperback – Illustrated, August 27, 2013

The Boy on the Wooden Box is a beautifully written firsthand account of the unimaginable conditions that a Polish Jewish family endured in order to survive the Holocaust. The majority of Polish Jews (88%) were murdered during the Shoah: 2,900,000 Jews. This makes the survival of Leon Leyson, the protagonist of this story, and his brother, sister and parents even more astounding. Sadly, two brothers, Hershel and Tsalig perished.This book is a fascinating read for both adults and young adults.Though intended for middle grade, I would use caution before giving this book to a sensitive middle school student. The accounts of brutality, torture and deprivation are very graphic.The reader witnesses the journey of a family from a comfortable, close loving family to lives of increasingly barbaric circumstances. As Leon tells his story, we come to understand the sadism of the Nazis as well as the heroism of one Nazi: Oskar Schindler. The terror began when he was 9 and lasted 6 years. During this time. Leon describes in great detail the living conditions in the ghettos and a concentration camp. The reader is not spared the horrors, the sadism, the degradation and terror that Leon endures daily. Schindler permitted Leo, to work in his factory in order to save him from being deported to a concentration camp. He was one of the youngest workers in the factory, and perhaps because of this, Schindler gave him special attention.This engrossing story continues after the war where we learn what happens to Schindler and to the Leyson family as they begin new lives in Israel and in Los Angeles.For those readers who are particularly interested Polish Holocaust history, here is a rare opportunity to read a firsthand account of life in the Poland before and during WW2. Leon describes his experiences living in the following places:• Narewka, Poland: his hometown• Podgórze ghetto in Kraków:• Plaszów camp where the arbitrary sadism of the Nazi commander Amon Goeth is described• Gross-Rosen concentration camp, 175 miles northwest of Kraków• Brünnlitz,• Displaced Person Camp in Wetzlar GermanyLessons are to be learned about resiliency, courage and heroism, and the discussion guide helps to explore the book more deeply. This is an engrossing way for students of all ages to learn about the Holocaust. Photos and a map are helpful additions.Questions you might want to ask yourself: "What does it mean to be a hero?" "What are the characteristics that define a hero?" and "Can you think of a modern day hero in your life?"Here is a link to a short youtube video of "Boy on a Wooden Box" which includes Leon recounting one of his memories. https://youtu.be/M1uT8IAbybU

The Boy On The Wooden Box: How the impossible became possible… on Schindler’s List is a memoir by Leon Leyson with Marilyn J Harran and Elisabeth B. Leyson. Leon was one of the youngest Schindler Jews. His memoir is a testament to the will of those who survived and the bravery, generosity and humanity of Oscar Schindler who gave everything to save his “Jews. The book is written in such a manner as to be acceptable reading for junior high students. They get the idea of the brutality of life under the Nazis and yet not the gruesome details. Those details are not needed to get the idea across. Leon’s tenacity to hang on just a little longer enabled his to become reunited with his parents and to become a Schindler Jew.Leon (Leib) Leyson was born in 1930 to Moshe and Chanah Lejson in Narewka, Poland. Narewka is in the northeastern part of Poland near Bialystok. He was the youngest of five children. His oldest brother was Hershel; then Tsalig; his sister, Pesza; his brother, David; and finally, Leib. Their father worked in a glass factory which was later moved to Krakow. Their father went with the factory and only came home to Narewka once every six months. Hershel eventually went with his father but rarely came home as he preferred the city. Finally, Moshe had enough money to send for his family and they thus moved to Krakow.When the war broke out, Moshe and Hershel headed back to Narewka thinking it would be safer for them back there. Chanah and the children stayed in Krakow. On the way, Moshe had second thoughts of leaving Chanah and returned to Krakow. Hershel continued on to Narewka. Moshe went to work for Schindler with David. Pesza went to work for an electrical factory near Schindler’s factory. Tsalig and Leib were left to try to find food for themselves and their mother. Tsalig and his girlfriend, Miriam, were taken in a raid and placed on a train to Belzac. Chanah and Leib were eventually taken separately to Plaszow. Here Leib was on his own. He did make contact with his Father and Mother but only briefly. His Father told him he would try to get Schindler to take them into his company. Eventually, Leib and Chanah were on the list of thirty Jews to be added to Schindler’s business. At the last minute, Leib’s name was crossed off the list.The Lejson family survived under Schindler’s protection. They lost their brothers Hershel and Tsalig as well as numerous other family members. Three of Chanah’s four siblings moved to America before the war broke out. It was with their help that Leib and his parents finally came to California. Daniel and Pesza eventually migrated to Israel after separating from their family after the war.Upon coming to America after the war, Leib (now Leon) eventually finished his education after being in the Army. He became a teacher and taught for 39 years. He eventually got his PHD as well as an honorary degree from Chapman University. It wasn’t until Schindler’s List came out that anyone knew he was a Holocaust survivor. It was then he began telling his story to any group who asked him. After raising a son and daughter and having six grandchildren, Leon died in January, 2013.This book is excellently written and is one of the better memoirs written specifically with younger children in mind. However, due to the subject matter, I do not recommend it for anyone younger than middle school read it. However, it should be on the middle and junior high school shelves to be used in conjunction with Anne Frank. Various lesson plans and novel studies are available for this memoir.

I heard him talk. I shook his hand and was electrified. 20 or 30 years later (or more) I bought this book not knowing that I had the joy of hearing him talk and shaking his hand.I share the surname of his flatmate.A wonderful book about a terrible time.

This is a wonderful book, beautifully written for a young reader and almost impossible to put down. I bought it for my 10-year-old (almost 11) granddaughter, Ellen, who is a strong reader, interested in history and finds herself full of questions after finishing Anne Frank's Diary recently. I'll admit that Ellen, an only child and somewhat sheltered, is "young" for her age in many respects. With the fear that this story might be too much for her, I read it first before giving it to her. I was right. These horrific stories of the Holocaust continue to shake me to my core no matter how many I read. I will save this book for a couple of years. Ellen's unstanding of the world will be a little more mature and she'll appreciate the strength and hope this young man never lost despite the nightmare he lived and so vividly describes all these years later.

Value for money

Tolles Buch!

The boy was very young when the Nazis arrived and the family moved from Narewka where almost all were killed down to Krakow. His father got a job in a factory there run by Oskar Schindler who was a Nazi but supported a lot of Jews and later brought his family to the town. Later they were imprisoned in Plaszow but Schindler saved them again. He lost his eldest brother but he was so lucky to survive. Later he moved to the United States but he did not talk about his past. Some years later Chapman University got him to talk about and it was brilliant and they gave him an honorary doctorate.

Excellent book. Couldn't put it down. Well written and keeps your attention throughout. A book everyone should read. Makes you realize what many lived through and should make us thankful for what we have. You won't want to complain again. Would be good for ages 10 and up to read. A real eye-opener.

I had read a chapter of this book in a Sunday newspaper. I pre-ordered the paperback edition of the book and was not disappointed.I’ve read quite a few ‘Auschwitz’ stories and the majority of them are quite horrible (for want of a better word).This is told by Leon Leyson whose given name was Leib Lejzon and is a compelling read of how he and most of his family survive the holocaust and are helped by Oskar Schindler. He has to stand on a wooden box to work the machinery. He was only 10 at the time and the youngest person to appear on ‘Schindler’s list’. There is a photograph of the list in the book along with family photos.He survives and that is what’s amazing. In one of the chapters Leon is whipped and you are willing him not to lose track of counting up to 25 or the whipping will start again. I found the start of chapter 9 quite hard: “ Gross-Rosen Concentration Camp, only 175 miles north west of Krakow but more than one million miles from the civilised world. October 1944. I am naked. My head is shaved. I am shivering from cold and fear. I am surrounded by total darkness. Gradually night turns to day and I am still naked ………………”It’s a shame that Leon died without knowing that his memoirs would be published.