I’m a hypocrite.

I recently read that students who pass next year’s Advanced Placement tests at Wilby High School in Waterbury, Conn., will be getting $100 rewards. And I was offended by the idea.

You know the arguments against such payments. Students need to value learning for its own sake. Learning is an investment in the future of students, and they darned well ought to recognize that.

So, why do I say I’m a hypocrite? Because Wilby High has inspired me. Now I’m thinking of paying my son to read a history book.

I hate to do it. I’m a big history buff and a lover of books of all kinds. I think a kid should read a book simply because it’s within arm’s reach.

But my son doesn’t agree. Foolishly, I overlooked the insidious effect of television and video games on my child’s early development. Today, he is yet another sad statistic: a teenager whose life revolves around the plasma TV, PlayStation 3, MySpace, and his iPod.

For him, a book is something you read when forced to by adults.

I have failed him.

They say desperate times require desperate measures. So I have been plotting. My son is receiving a quite solid background in history and civics in the public schools of Fairfax County, Va., so I know he has a brain. Sometimes he even uses it.

So, not long ago, I introduced him to the HBO television miniseries “Band of Brothers,” which focuses on the story of a group of soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II.

Some battle scenes were not exactly appropriate for a 14-year-old. But I overlooked this inconvenience in the hopes that the true-to-life story would catch his imagination. And it did.

Now I intend to offer a bribe. The miniseries was based on the acclaimed book by historian Stephen Ambrose, and my son will get a payout if he reads it.

This could get costly. I’m not sure what my son will consider the market rate for reading a history book. I do know he’ll count the pages, judge his pain threshold, and check the Apple website to determine the price of upgrading his iPod.

But, as long as I don’t need to mortgage the house, I think I’ll pay his price. I know he’ll love the book. And, while he’s not a reader today, perhaps the experience will spark a greater appreciation of the entertainment (and educational) value of books. (I can dream, can’t I?)

And perhaps I can compensate somewhat for failing to observe that, as a child, my son’s brain was turning to mush in front of the TV.

I wonder if someone offers a grant for this kind of project? At Wilby High, the cash rewards for students are being paid out of money awarded by the National Math and Science Initiative.

It’s still a shameful thing that Wilby High is doing. But now I understand a little better. Educators want so much for their kids. And so does every parent.

Del Stover, Senior Editor