The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leyon Leyson

If you want a historically accurate book to use for teaching the effects of WWII, the Holocaust, or even just the evils of racism this book does it beautifully. It also does it a bit less graphically than some of the other novels that cover these elements. Does that mean after reading The Boy on the Wooden Box you will not be disappointed in what humans will do to one another? No! However, this book does show that there is hope, and that one person can make a difference in the world. A true story based on the youngest person to be a name on Schindler's List, this book is powerful and lends itself to many cross-curricular educational moments. There are multiple themes covered in the book and it encompasses several beautiful literary elements. I recommend this book for younger audiences than I would Night, because it is not as graphic. I like this book for middle school or even low reading level freshmen. It lends itself easily to open discussions about difficult topics and students get drawn into the events as they unfold. I enjoyed reading this book for the first time as an adult and I think it has a lot of educational value. If you read many of my postings you know I love books that hook young male readers, I had to buy myself a second copy of this book because my son refused to relinquish my original copy when I let him borrow it. So it is a definite win at my house.

Educational Content 5 out of 5 stars
I give The Boy on the Wooden Box 4 out of 5 Stars

Tortured For Christ by Richard Wurmbrand

I read books of all types, and I usually stick with fiction because the world is a sad sick place that I believe needs Jesus and lots of love. We watched an interview with Richard Wurmbrand at church a few months ago, so I purchased this Kindle edition and audio book. To be honest the audio was difficult to understand and I did not end up listening to much of this book for that reason, but rather read most of it myself. This book broke me. It never ceases to amaze me what humans are willing to do to one another. We do not demonstrate love, unity and friendship, we hide behind prejudice and hate. This man loved his torturers, and that broke me and rebuilt me. Every once in while you read a book that changes how you live, and how you handle life's difficult situations. This book was one of those life changers for me. It is not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach the horror this man lived through, I believe it will help you see that no matter how bad things get they can always get worse, and we should always address others with love and respect.

I give Tortured For Christ 5 out of 5 stars

I give the audio 2 out of three stars