The Boy on the Wooden Box is a great book. Leon Leyson lives in the country side of Poland, where religion really matters but as soon as he moves to the city for his dad's job, nobody cares what religion he is or where he came from. That starts to change when the Nazis come into town. The Nazis are soldiers that discriminate against the Jewish religion and the Jews all together. Things slowly start to change for Leon and all of the other Jews in Krakow.  Jews are no longer alowed to sit on park benches or go to parks at all.  Worst of all is that they are forced to wear a large yellow-goldish star, the marking that tells everyone they are Jewish. The Nazis attacked Leon's father.  That was one of the most horrifing times of his life, watching his father being dragged by his feet out of their apartment.

 

Eventually, his father was relased from prison and as soon as he got out he looked fo a job.  So he marched into a factory owned by Oskar Schindler, impressed him by opening a safe, and he was hired! From this point on everyone in Leon's family felt protected.  If there were any break-ins or any other harassments, they would have his dad's job to hide behind.  Times were not good, but they kept saying "if this is the worst.........".   They were forced to move to the getto, which is a very small apartment they would need to share with a couple named the Luftigs. Leon and his family started to get close with the Luftigs, and Leon would often help Mr.Luftig clean his pipes. While his mother ocasinally cooked with Mrs.Luftig until the day the Luftigs got transported.  Leon never saw them again.

 

It was happening to everyone in the ghetto.  Unfortunatly, his closest brother Tsalig also got deported, and Leon never saw him again either. There was a rumor that the Nazis were invading again.  This time it was Leon and his mother that would be transported to a concentration camp. When the day came it was hard because Leon and his mother had to be separated.  It was difficult work and even more difficult that they were apart.  

 

Finally, Schindler managed to hire 20 more Jews and he and his mother made the list.  Leon was so happy.  He was working in Schindler's company.  Schindler liked him and he got promoted.  Everything was going great, but they found out there were relocating.  He was worried, but he didn't have to worry.  Schindler had his back and his family's back too, but the Nazi's weren't as helpful.  

 

The transfer did not go as planned.  They were sent to Gross-Rosen concentration camp.  They were shaved and naked, and they went back to their normal slave duties, while the women were sent to the worst camp there is.  They were confused.  Did a mix-up occur?  Was it a trick?  But once again, Schindler came to the rescue.  Working for Schindler again saved his life.  News came that the Soviets were beating Germany in the war and they would soon be freeing Schindler's factory.  They found out that Schindler had to leave so that he was not murdered by the Soviets.  

 

Now Leon was free!! He was going to America.  He was on the train to California.  He had no knowledge of English, but he was not afraid to learn it.  He thought about the next chapter of his life and wasn't worried.  He was free and starting on an amazing adventure:  America