If only...

.. I could get Caden as interested in actually reading books as he is in playing Minecraft.  

 Getting him interested in ANY book is a damn struggle, and here's the kicker: he's a REALLY great reader. As in, his ability and level is beyond his grade level. He is an extremely creative and imaginative kid, thinking up ideas for video games and drawing levels for angry birds. He uses vocabulary words beyond his age and understands the importance of reading... He just doesn't want to do it. Forcing him to read has resulted in sulking on the bed re-reading the same paragraphs over and over and not retaining a thing. 

Here we are at Barnes and Noble and I'm trying to encourage him to find a book, any book, that interests him. So far the only thing he's been interested in is this Moshi Monster encyclopedia... Which is 18.99 and not something I was hoping to spend. But, because I want him to read so badly I agree to it, only to have him put it back claiming, " Um, nah, I don't think I want this after all. " grrrr...

  I've offered incentives to no avail. It's come down to just flat out refusing the purchase of any more apps or games even with his own money, until he starts reading. I'm not saying the kid needs to read half a book a night. I'm just wanting him to read a little everyday. 

Is this bad? As a child I was a voracious reader, begging my parents for trips to the library or used book store every weekend.  I read Ramona Quimby, Ralph S. Mouse, The Indian in the Cupboard, The Trumpet of the Swan and all of Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time books. I'd read in class and get my books taken away. I'd read in the car on the way to school and car trips were excuses to buy more books. To this day I fear I could easily make us bankrupt with how accessible books are to purchase through my Kindle. If I wasn't so crazy about scrapbooking too, that's where my money would go. 

  I guess I should back off, and not worry about it too much. Like everything we parents discover with child raising, every year brings on some sort of different phase. Maybe he will return to books when he's older. In the meantime I'm working on Paige.