That's true, Vijaya. We always had books around and we read books to our child and gave them books. As a result of that and the social isolation of living way out in the country, ours learned to read without a teacher. I, on the other hand, despite all the books in my house growing up, couldn't really read a whole sentence in the second grade. Not even a caption on a picture in a book--I tried, and I embarrassed myself. Pitiful, and yet I am a lifelong avid reader.

There's plenty of time for kids to read today while being dragged to the innumerable extracurricular classes and sports they're programmed into. They're not driving the car, after all.

I'm not a happy heights sort of guy so the trailer was enough for me 

I'm not terribly impressed by the trailer.   

Seems like the tagline should be: "Darth Emo discovers the Force."

Kids probably don't have as much time to read for fun now because of the relentless pursuit of other activities. Growing up in a small village without tv or computers,  I'm sure I used to read as much to fill in my spare time as for any other reason. However my two kids have always read a lot - and been read to - and as the younger one was exactly the right age to enjoy the Harry Potter books when they first came out, he is completely addicted to fiction and did a degree in English. The older one tended to read more non-fiction. I see my grandson surrounded by books and just learning to read for himself. I don't know what he will be like at 9 but my son reads stories to him every night so I hope he will carry on with it.

I remember we had to read The Catcher in the Rye and I still believe that is one of the most overrated books of all time.  I mean, were we supposed to identify with the protagonist because he was a teenager?  I didn't.  I just longed for him to get hit by a bus so the book would be over.

You and I share a brain when it comes to this book.   

The only time I was ever really into it was when it looked like the elevator pimp was going to beat Holden to a pulp.  That would have been a great way to begin the upward phase of the character's Harmon Circle: have him wake up in the hospital, reevaluate his life in something like a "Come to Jesus" moment, and then set himself to making amends and developing virtues and whatnot.

(For those who aren't familiar with the Harmon Circle, I'm referring to Step 5.)