I'd somewhat disagree, and say that a kid given books, versus a kid living in a house without books, has potentially a big advantage. I remember two main books

I'd somewhat disagree, and say that a kid given books, versus a kid living in a house without books, has potentially a big advantage. I remember two main books I used to read pre-10 years old, which were "Great Men of Science" and "Encyclopedia of Wildlife". The second book especially was huge and I'm sure I'd still learn something at every page, even today, 30 years later. Reading about dinosaurs, or mammals, or birds was always a great escape from a somewhat crappy at times childhood. Kids have a huge amount of energy, but it seems that it's far too often directed towards collecting every single McDonalds Happy Meal toy, or getting further into the latest video game. Kids love collecting stuff, including facts, and should at least be given the opportunity to read.