By SABRINA BERNDT

For the Washington Daily News

An astronaut and a flock of space ducks are hiding around town and only local children will be able to spot them.

The BHM Regional Library is hosting a scavenger hunt for local children in an effort to get them more involved in their Summer Reading Program. Based on hints published on page 3 in the Washington Daily News throughout next week, kids can win prizes by finding the missing astronaut or space ducks around town.

“My biggest goal is to get the children in the door,” Youth Services Librarian Lou Hunley said. “It’s basically to draw attention to our Summer Reading Program.”

The astronaut scavenger hunt will take place Monday through Friday. An inflatable astronaut will be placed in a specific location each day, and if found, children should call 252-402-1694 to get their prize at the library, which is located at 158 N. Market St.

The second part of the scavenger hunt requires kids to find the Summer Reading Space Ducks around Washington. The ducks will be at select locations until the end of July. If found, kids or parents should take a picture, grab a coupon from the location if possible, note the number on the bottom of the duck and take the evidence to the library to pick a prize.

According to Hunley, she organized the scavenger hunt in hopes of getting local children involved in the programs at the library.

“Reading is important, and we have all of these resources for the summer,” Hunley said. “If they don’t read during the summer, then it puts them back two or three months.”

Children participating in the program get rewarded for listening to or reading books for at least 10 hours. Once they reach the goal, they are given a medal, a Taco Bell coupon and a book of their choice.

Although prizes are always inviting, the library hopes to make a lasting impression on the children who participate.

“I’ve always loved to read, and I want them to love to read,” Hunley said. “You really need to catch them early, because the older they get, the harder to is to build those habits.”

Along with scavenger hunts, the library is hosting kid-friendly events every Monday in Washington until August, as well as events in Aurora, Bath and Belhaven.