This was a nice enough Ender story, but it was less than expected~~ I consider this a hardbound short story. Still, fun for Ender fans, another peek into his universe.

Amazon Editorial Review

Orson Scott Card offers a Christmas gift to his millions of fans with A War of Gifts, a short novel set during Ender Wiggin's first years at the Battle School where it is forbidden to celebrate religious holidays.
The children come from many nations, many religions; while they are being trained for war, religious conflict between them is not on the curriculum. But Dink Meeker, one of the older students, doesn't see it that way. He thinks that giving gifts isn't exactly a religious observation, and on Sinterklaas Day he tucks a present into another student's shoe.

This small act of rebellion sets off a battle royal between the students and the staff, but some surprising alliances form when Ender comes up against a new student, Zeck Morgan. The War over Santa Claus will force everyone to make a choice.

As there's room, I'm adding this to the Otherworldly Bookbox . And as it's so slight, I'm adding it as a '2fer'~ a bonus with any one of my books.

I've read this before, so I'm leaving it in the box for someone else, but wanted to add my comments.

I haven't read any of the other "Ender" books - perhaps a surprising admission for a science fiction fan, but somehow I just never got around to them. I'd heard interesting things about this one, though, as a sort of spin-off story set in the "Ender" universe but focusing on other characters - and it is quite a story, with a strong focus on several major issues, from government vs. individual freedoms, religious freedoms vs. secular customs, peer pressure - used for good and for ill - and the loneliness of children... [What I know of the rest of the Ender saga adds a dark background to this story that highlights its positive aspects.]

Selected from the Round III Otherworldly Bookbox.

An interesting short story set in the Ender universe. I know many people have a problem with Card's religious tones/agenda/etc in his writing. Pretty much every writer has an agenda/etc that seeps into their writing or is put there on purpose. I know that Card's is there and I can let it influence me or not. It's one thing if the author makes the religion out to be wrong/evil (example: Caliphate) and another if the characters have twisted the religion into something wrong/evil.

A companion book to go with a copy of Ender's Game that I wrapped for the First Line Game at the BCinDC's Christmas Party!

Congrats on your choice!

I selected this book based on the first line. I loved Ender's Game when I read it a couple of years ago. I will make time to read this book soon.

A nice little snippet from the Ender's Game world that deals with Christmas, military discipline, fundamentalist religion, juvenile psychology, child zbuse, and homesickness. It has been just long enough since I read Ender's Game that I don't remember the other boys to know if they were feztured in the book or not. This was a fun and quick read at a time when I have very limited opportunity to read for pleasure.

Since this book came to me along with a copy of Ender's Game, I will forward it to my niece in Utah. I just sent her Ender's Game, but I wanted to read this before passing it along.

This book is on its way to Utah to join Enders Game.

Any future reader or recipient of this book is encouraged to leave a journal entry here on the BookCrossing site to let prior readers know the fate of the book. You can make an anonymous entry without joining the BookCrossing movement, but if you are interested in joining, it is a free and spam-free community where your contact information is not shared with others. Best of all, members receive private messages via e-mail from books like this one when those books are journaled, allowing for long-term relationships between books and readers.

I will be reading this book after I finish Enders Game. It will also be released on my trip to Europe for the Bordeaux book crossing convention.

Releasing while doing errands
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I do hope that whoever finds this reads it. It is a book full of characters waiting to come alive when you read about them. I hope you enjoy reading this book, and let this book continue traveling once you are finished with it.