Youngsters had a puzzling time of it last week at the Greenville-Butler County Public Library as the Summer Reading Program continued its mysterious theme, &#8220Get a Clue.” A total of 23 three, four and five-year-olds, 15 K-1st graders and 18 second-fourth graders attended last week's three sessions.

Lead Detective (and Children's Librarian) Jean Bauer engaged her many junior &#8220bloodhounds” in a number of activities to sharpen their detective skills.

The library offers a big selection

of

children's mystery books – from Nancy Drew to Nate the Great, Blue's Clues to Encyclopedia Brown - that allow readers to indulge in armchair detection.

At last week's sessions, figuring out &#8220drewdles” (doodles that have a special meaning) and reading aloud the amusing letter messages in the book &#8220CDB?” (See the bee?) offered the children a chance to hone their deductive skills. .

The young detectives also were challenged to guess how many pretzels were in the pretzel jar. Winners got to choose a prize from the M&M Man display.

The tastiest challenge proved to be identifying by sight all the different types of candy bars Detective Bauer had sliced on plates.

&#8220It has little rectanglesŠit's a Hershey's Bar!”

&#8220Look at the grooves - that's a Twix!”

&#8220It might be a Snickers, but - it doesn't have peanuts, so no.”

Later, the youngsters got to enjoy those chocolate treats, pretzels and fruit punch as they worked on another puzzle, a very personal one.

&#8220You all have a blank puzzle, either a boy or a girl. I want you to use your markers and turn that puzzle into a copy of you with your hair, eyes and clothes,” &#8220Miss” Jean said.

The librarian also encouraged all the children to keep reading this summer. She reminded the second-fourth grade group to bring their reading logs to each Summer Reading Program session so they could get credit for the books read and win fun prizes.

W.O. Parmer Principal Catherine Sawicki applauds the library's annual program.

&#8220It is wonderful! We want our children to keep reading all through the summer months. I encourage parents and grandparents to have youngsters attend this great program,” Sawicki said.

Three, four and five-year-old children attend the 3 p.m. session each Wednesday afternoon; kindergarten and first graders, the 10:30 a.m. session on Thursdays, and second through fourth graders meet at 3 p.m. each Thursday. The program continues through July 21. This week's theme: dinosaur mysteries!

For more info, call the library at 382-3216.