
I like to buy books for my kids as well. I typically buy my son some kind of baseball books, just because he's not a motivated reader by nature, so try to encourage it by the subject matter!
If you're looking for a more sentimental gift, a scrapbook is always a fun thing for them, but also lots of work to prepare. I also found my son a beautiful wooden box at a gift shop a couple of years ago. I don't know if it flipped his lid, but it's really nice - handmade - and something he can keep forever. He keeps his watch and a couple pieces of jewelry he has in it.