A War of Gifts: An Ender Battle School Story by Orson Scott Card

At the Battle School, there is only one purpose, only one curriculum: the strategy and tactics of war. The children are drawn from all nations, all races, all religions. There is no room for cultural differences, no room for religious observances, and certainly no room for Santa Claus.

But the young warriors disagree. When one of them leaves a Sinterklaas Day gift in his best friend's shoe, that quiet act of rebellion becomes the first shot in a war of wills that the staff of the Battle School never bargained for.

A quick read.

Oh Ender, is there anything you can't do?

This story has more religion than science fiction.

In spite my distaste for the last 2 books, I was deterred to go through the Ender Series. I have read this book until a few pages after the first church scene. I couldn't stand it. Too much of the same, the story wasn't adding anything interesting to me. The religious rhetoric started to sound too pedantic.

The book started with a very (VERY) lengthy pro-religion like sermon. And when I was ready to give up, the author sort of destroys this whole thing, talking down on religion. At that point I started to fell like this sort of thing also happened in the previous books, and that was making me reconsider Ender's Game as my favorite book. So I stopped this sacrilegious train of though.

Short story taking place in the cadet training area over Christmas. The idea fits in with the rest of the world – removing all religious practices from the students there – but still did not draw me in enough to appreciate the characters.