The Boy on The Wooden Box Named 2014 MLA YouPer Award Winner

The Michigan Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce that The Boy on The Wooden Box by Leon Leyson, published 2013 by Antheneum Books for Young Readers, is the winner of the inaugural MLA YouPer (Young Person) Award.

Even in the darkest of times—especially in the darkest of times—there is room for strength and bravery. A remarkable memoir from one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list, 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.

Leyson passed on January 14, 2013, one day after his manuscript was received by his US editor.

This year's honor books include:

• Rump by Liesl Shurtliff, published 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers 
• Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz, published 2013 by HMK Books for Young Readers
• The Great Trouble by Deborah Hopkinson, published 2013 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Twerp by Mark Goldblatt, published 2013 by Random House Books for Young Readers

YouPer Award home