This book stars Leib Lejzon, who is now known as Leon Leyson. He was born in Narewka, a village in northeastern Poland. Leon had one older sister and three older brothers. After Leon's parents married, Leon's father served as an apprentice machinist. Leon's father moved up the ranks and eventually the glass factory his father worked at expanded to a city southwest of Leon's town, called Krakow. Leons father worked so that eventually his wife and children would be able to live with him again in Krakow. Leon's eldest brother, Hershel, went to work with his father. After 5 years Leon and his family were able to move to Krakow, they moved into an apartment building at Przemyslowa Street 13. Sept. 1st, 1939 Germany invaded Poland and 2 members of the Gestapo beat up Leon's father. In Mar. 1941 Leon and his family were forced to move to a ghetto. Everyone in Leon's family worked inside the ghetto. Leon and his family were sent to a camp called Plaszow. Leon's father asked his boss, Schindler, if his family could work with him in the factory making armaments, and Schindler immediately said yes. Leon was too short to reach the table where he was making casings, so he had to stand on a wooden box, which is the name of this book. Schindler made many efforts to try and keep the Jews as safe as possible, he treated them with respect and remorse. And in the end he saved the lives of nearly 1,200 Jews. The Russians were coming so the Nazis fled, Schindler did to in fear of being mercilessly killed by the Russians. The camp was liberated by Russians on May 8th, 1945.

I think this was a really good book, one of the best I've read so far in fact. I mean there has to be a reason as to why this book has more 5 star ratings than any other ratings. (And only one 2 star rating.) This book shows that not everyone shunned the Jews. Schindler gave Leon and his family a place to work and stay. Schindler protected his workers, not as if they were machines. But as if they were something more, he called the Jewish workers "experts, highly trained, and irreplaceable," even when some weren't experts or were really just bad at the job. Not to mention that when the women were sent to Auschwitz he saved them, and whenever someone was threatened with death or punishment Schindler saved them. ( Immediately too, not a moment's hesitation.) I don't think anyone who cared about the Jews were able to take Jews back from Auschwitz, yet somehow Schindler accomplished this amazing feat. ( )