Book review: “The Boy on the Wooden Box”

By Conner Maise

The Boy on the Wooden Box is a story about young Jewish boy forced to work in a factory during WWII.

His life is ripped from him, and he must learn to survive along with his family. This story takes place in Krakow during the years of WWII.

Leon Leyson is a normal Jewish boy during the 1930’s. He has friends and family.  He attends school and plays outside a lot. When Leon turned eight, his family moved to Krakow, and in the year 1938 WWII broke out. Nazis have complete   control over all of the Jews, and they are abusing their power. Leon’s family has a magnificent stroke of luck and is allowed to work in a factory rather than being put in a camp. Leon is so small that he has to stand on a wooden box in order to reach his machine, hence the title of the novel.  The Boy on the Wooden Box was a breakaway from all of the usual WWII stories about the Holocaust. I really enjoyed this book because it did not go down the beaten path. Most stories are told from inside containment camps, but this one was told from the view of working in a factory.

Conner Maise is a graduating senior in the Gifted program at Hahnville High. He enjoys football, baseball, and fishing. He plans to attend LSU and major in construction management.   

Editor’s note: Book reviews are published weekly during the summer in agreement with Hahnville High School gifted English teacher Deborah Unger in conjunction with the Brown Foundation Service Learning Program.