Eric is a a strange kid...he hates (and I mean HATES) to write, but he will read anything he can get his hands on.  He's 9, so I am starting to show him some of the stuff I liked when I was young.  I love to read, and I'm trying to get the kids hooked on it...it's one of the reasons we don't let them watch TV during the week (and again, we're the MEANEST PARENTS EVER for doing this). 

I'm using a cunning plan to get them hooked...I've only done it to Eric so far, but Alex will probably be ready by next year:  I gave Eric the first Harry Potter book, and told him that if he read it, and could intelligently discuss it with me afterwards, I would give him $20.00.  It worked like a charm.  Then, I gave him the second HP, and told him I would give him $10.00 after he read it.  I kept giving him less and less, until we got to $1.00 to read "Harry Potter and the Painful Rectal Itch" or whatever the 5th book was, and then I stopped.  It was kind of like drugs; I gave him enough incentive to read them until he was hooked, and now he's off and running.

A couple of weeks ago, we were at Barnes and Noble, killing time for some reason.  Bookstores are dangerous for me, and I usually can't go in without blowing way too much on books.  But anyway, I saw Ender's Game, and remembered how much I loved it when I was young (I don't remember when I read it for the first time, but it was big when I was in the Army, so I was >17).  I got it for him, and he started on it today.  I had to go downstairs at 10:00 to tell him to stop reading and turn the lights out.  I love it when a plan comes together.

The pictures are not staged, he came up to my computer room in the attic to get me to print a story he had to write (type) for school.  He grabbed it off the bed I keep upstairs for when I need a nap really bad, and I had to kick him out at bedtime.

(After re-reading Ender's Game, it's not as good as I remember, but I still recommend it)