By LISA BRITTON

Baker City Herald

This year’s summer reading program slithered to a start Monday when a crowd of 200 showed up at Baker County Library to see lizards and alligators brought by Mary Hart from Hart’s Reptiles in Canby.

andquot;She talked a lot about what makes a good pet, and what doesn’t make a good pet,andquot; said Melissa Shafer, children’s librarian.

Hart works in animal rescue in Canby, and she supports that work by giving shows with the reptiles.

During the Monday program, she talked about the creatures, and then let the audience touch the more friendly ones.

After that special presentation, the Summer Reading program officially started Tuesday. This year’s theme is andquot;Catch the Reading Bug.andquot;

Shafer offers four sessions each week: from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Baker Library, 2400 Resort St., and then from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays at the Haines Library.

The Haines program is new this year thanks to a $500 grant from the Rock Creek/Muddy Creek Mutual Improvement Club in Haines.

Each hour-long session features stories and a craft. Children choose one session to attend each week, and can join at any time.

All the stories and projects relate to the theme. Next week, the youngsters will create kid-sized butterfly wings to wear in the VFW Kiddie Parade on June 28. Children can, however, choose to be a different bug for the parade.

andquot;The boys don’t have to be butterflies,andquot; Shafer said.

Future crafts include bug traps, bug houses and other buggy art projects.

Kids will, throughout the summer, andquot;learn lots of interesting things about bugs,andquot; Shafer said. andquot;You have to have the best books for the program.andquot;

Children are also encouraged to read on their own, and earn points for minutes. One hour of reading also nets a raffle ticket that can be redeemed for prizes at the program-ending carnival on Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Baker library.

For more information about the Summer Reading Program, or to sign up, stop by the library at 2400 Resort St. or call 523-6419.