The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible...on Schindler's List

In the #1 New York Times bestseller, Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto.

Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto. With incredible luck, perseverance, and grit, Leyson was able to survive the sadism of the Nazis, including that of the demonic Amon Goeth, commandant of Plaszow, the concentration camp outside Krakow. Ultimately, it was the generosity and cunning of one man, a man named Oskar Schindler, who saved Leon Leyson's life, and the lives of his mother, his father, and two of his four siblings, by adding their names to his list of workers in his factory--a list that became world renowned: Schindler's List.

This, the only memoir published by a former Schindler's List child, perfectly captures the innocence of a small boy who goes through the unthinkable. Most notable is the lack of rancor, the lack of venom, and the abundance of dignity in Mr. Leyson's telling. The Boy on the Wooden Box is a legacy of hope, a memoir unlike anything you've ever read.

Author: Leon Leyson
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 08/27/2013
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.67lbs
Size: 7.69h x 5.74w x 0.88d
ISBN: 9781442497818
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 160814 / Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible...on Schindler's List


Award: Sydney Taylor Book Award - Honor Book
Award: Texas Lone Star Reading List - Commended
Award: Christopher Awards - Finalist
Award: Kentucky Bluegrass Award - Nominee
Award: Georgia Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Iowa Teen Award - Nominee
Award: Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award - Nominee
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee
Award: Cybils - Finalist
Award: Beehive Awards - Nominee
Award: Flicker Tale Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Black-Eyed Susan Award - Nominee
Award: Virginia Readers Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Delaware Diamonds Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/01/2013
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2013
Booklist 09/01/2013 pg. 65
Voice of Youth Advocates 10/01/2013 - Recommended - Hard To Beat
School Library Journal 11/01/2013 pg. 133
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2013 pg. 117
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2014 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style

About the Author
Leon Leyson was one of the youngest members of Schindler's List. He brings a unique perspective to the history of the Holocaust and a powerful message of courage and humanity. Believing that no one would be interested in his story, he rarely spoke about his experiences until the film Schindler's List received worldwide attention.

A graduate of Los Angeles City College; California State University, Los Angeles; and Pepperdine University, he taught at Huntington Park High School in Huntington Park, California, for thirty-nine years. In recognition of his many accomplishments as educator and witness to the Holocaust, Mr. Leyson was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Chapman University.

Mr. Leyson passed away in January 2013, leaving behind his wife, Lis; their two children; and six grandchildren.

Dr. Marilyn J. Harran is the author of The Holocuast Chronicle: A History in Words and Pictures, which has sold more than 250,000 copies. She holds the Stern Chair in Holocaust Education at Chapman University, where she is also the founding director of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education. Dr. Harran is a 2008 recipient of the Spirit of Anne Frank Award and a member of the board of the Association of Holocaust Organizations. She lives in Orange, California.

Elizabeth B. Leyson, Leon's wife, lives in Fullerton, California.