The Arbutus Library will be using its mascot, Sneaks the Cat, to lead school-aged children on a scavenger hunt through Arbutus this week.

Businesses and restaurants, including those along East Drive, will place posters with pictures of the mascot reading a different colored book in their windows.

Kids will have to use clues found on the hunt's entry form to track down all the different posters.

"They'll be like 'Sneaks is hungry for pizza so, he goes to Sorrento's,' " said the library's Kim Preis.

Once the posters are found, the hunters will write down the answer to the riddle and the color of the book Sneaks was holding at each location.

After the entrance forms are completed with all the answers, families have until June 30 to drop off the forms at the library.

At 7 p.m. that day at the library, there will be a drawing during the library's Creating Magic and Stuff program with the kids who participated in the scavenger hunt having a chance to win one of three iPod Shuffles.

This is the first time the library has held a scavenger hunt outside of the library.

For that reason, Preis said, she wasn't sure how many kids would participate.

She said she was hoping for at least 100.

She said schools in the area have been helpful in promoting the event, some going so far as to give extra credit to students that participate.

"We've had a lot of wonderful school participation in this," Preis said.

Local Boy Scout troops have also been promoting it, she said.

The hunt is being held to promote the library and summer reading, Preis said.

"Anything to improve literacy," Preis said. "We want to bring (kids) into the library so that they know what we have."

Doug Gratz, who owns Doug's Comic Book Oasis, said he is participating in the scavenger hunt because it's a way to give back to the community.

"I like to add to (the community) as much as possible," he said.

He added that as the owner of a comic book shop for the past two years, he feels connected to teaching kids to read, even if they're "only" reading comic books.

"We want to continue to fuel the next generation with reading skills," he said.

Larry Bell, owner of the Hollywood Theater, said he is participating because it seemed like it was something he would have liked to take part in when he was a kid.

"It's about being young and being a kid. It's like an adventure," Bell said.

"It sounded like a fun idea when the library approached me," he said.

Among the local businesses who signed up to take part are:

* Ice Cream Cottage, at 1348 Stevens Ave.;

* Card Boutique, at 5207 East Drive;

* Doug's Comic Book Oasis, 5300 East Drive;

* Eskimo Shack, at 5500 Carville Ave.;

* Halethorpe Pharmacy, at 1307 Francis Ave.;

* Hollywood Theater, 5509 Oregon Ave.;

* Rita's Italian Ice, 5403 East Drive;

* 7-Eleven at 1313 Francis Ave.;

* Sorrento of Arbutus, at 5401 East Drive.

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