Looking for Waldo around Lake Placid (Photo provided — Diane Chase)

There are some people that are not familiar with the Where’s Waldobook character. Just for the record, that does not include anyone in my household or extended family. If you need a refresher, then The Bookstore Plus is the place to start.

Known in England as “Where’s Wally?,” English-born Illustrator Martin Handford first published the search and find books in 1987. Handford carefully hides Waldo in distinctive places like the beach or zoo. The reader is not only meant to find Waldo, but a list of objects he loses at each location, such as his binoculars, camera, or keys. There is something hypnotic about scanning the page to pick out the familiar lanky cartoon man in his red and white striped shirt, knit hat, and round glasses. Whether traveling or at home, Waldo entertains all ages.

In 2012, Waldo made a huge splash by hiding throughout Lake Placid to celebrate his 25th birthday. Now a local tradition, Waldo continues to jump from the book pages each July and hide in 25 local shops throughout Lake Placid.

My family has never stopped looking for Waldo. My daughter and I have a tradition to spend the day walking through the local shops and scanning the shelves for Waldo. Of course, I’m a distracted Waldo searcher and usually find plenty of other items I want to put in my basket.

The “Find Waldo in Lake Placid” rules are simple. If you spot Waldo (and one lost item at The Bookstore Plus) in 20 or more local shops and bring the signed passport back to The Bookstore Plus, you’ll receive a “I Found Waldo” button $1 coupon, plus you are entered to win a complete six-volume deluxe collection of Waldo books and other prizes. The first 125 people to collect 10 stamps and turn in their passport receive the coupon and button. As with previous Waldo searches, some shops hide the 6″ cardboard cutout of the time-traveling, world-traveling children’s book character in plain sight. Other local businesses make the search more of a family challenge.

There are only a few weeks left to complete the Where’s Waldo Local passport, To find the elusive cartoon character, stop by The Bookstore Plus, 2491 Main St., for a free passport. At the end of the month, July 31 from 4 to 5 p.m., The Bookstore Plus invites everyone to dress in their favorite Waldo book character costume and enjoy cupcakes, punch, prizes, raffles, and games.

Don’t forget all the other special events at The Bookstore Plus while you are searching for Waldo and his lost objects. Check out the schedule for story times and author visits with autograph sessions. Call The Bookstore Plus 518-523-2950 for a full schedule.

Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities.” For more

family-friendly activities go to www.AdirondackFamily

Time.com.