I need ideas here. I've just started tutoring again--just this week--and so I don't know my student very well. Next week we're supposed to give them little gifts, no more than $20. He's 13, he likes math so much he's ahead in class, and that's about all I know.
He's got all the CDs he could ever want, according to his brother. It's too hard to try to figure out what he likes in video games, and who knows what he'd be allowed to play and what system it's on in the first place. He doesn't really read unless it's assigned (sad, I know!), so unless I can think of a really awesome book, that's not really a choice. I tried to get him to read the first story in The Jungle Book last night and he kept pausing and asking me to tell him the story instead.
His brother suggested a cheap CD player (his was confiscated by the teacher), but 1) I don't know I should encourage him to do something his teacher is trying to break him of (who knows, could be a really mean teacher), and more importantly, 2) the CD players I've looked at for under $20 are really junky and I don't think they play mp3s, which I think might be important for him.
42 suggested a novelty item, which is a good idea. Perhaps a mind-bending puzzle or something. Anybody else have an idea, or have a novelty item idea that would be good?