In 1941 Laibale Gillman was a typical teenager living in Kaunas, Lithuania, when Nazi troops forced his family and thousands of other Jews into Kovno Ghetto, where they endured persistent threats of beatings, starvation and death. Laibale, showing courage beyond his years, lived up to his nickname of "the Little Lion," and devised a plan that helped several family members escape to freedom--at a time when some 40,000 individuals (the vast majority of them Jews) were being executed within a few miles. "The Little Lion" is the remarkable story of this selfless teen's heroism and chutzpah during the horrors of the Holocaust.

Introduction . 1
Chapter 1: The Race . 7
Chapter 2: Laibale and Nese . 15
Chapter 3: Joel Visits Germany. 23
Chapter 4: School Problems . 31
Chapter 5: Pending Doom. 39
Chapter 6: The Ghetto Formed. 45
Chapter 7: Leaving Home. 53
Chapter 8: Entering Kovno Ghetto. 61
Chapter 9: Unexpected Trouble. 69
Chapter 10: Resistance. 79
Chapter 11: Demokratu Square. 85
Chapter 12: The Family Lives. 93
Chapter 13: Quiet Prevails. 99
Chapter 14: Escape Plan . 107
Chapter 15: Laibale's Luck Changes. 111
Chapter 16: Nese Needs Medicine. 115
Chapter 17: A Welcome Respite. 121
Chapter :18 Sheina and Sara. 125
Chapter 19: Father John . 129
Chapter 20: Sara's Departure. 133
Chapter 21: Surprise Search. 137
Chapter 22: Run For Life. 141
Chapter 23: Father Bruno. 147
Chapter 24: A Stranger Helps. 151
Chapter 25: Unable To Hide. 155
Author's Note. 159
Epilogue. 161
Photos. 163
Book Club Questions. 171
Standards of Learning/Virginia . 173
Activities. 175
Recommended Resources. 177