Whitelam Books and 28 Local Businesses Invite Families to Search for the Beloved Storybook Character Throughout July
Reading, MA – Where’s Waldo? In Reading, of course! Celebrating its fourteenth anniversary in July 2026, Find Waldo Local has become a beloved summertime event in communities nationwide. This year, Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association are again teaming up with 325 independent bookstores nationwide, including Whitelam Books, for some hide-and-seek fun designed to encourage residents to patronize their local businesses. There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July.
Families love joining the scavenger hunt to find the iconic children’s book character, with his red-and-white-striped shirt and black glasses, hidden in twenty-eight local businesses, including Virginia’s Cafe & Market and Bell’s Barber Shop, both new to the Reading Waldo search this year. Find Waldo Local is a wonderful way to support the Shop Local movement by increasing foot traffic to a variety of businesses.
To join in the fun, people can simply pick up a “Find Waldo Local in Reading!” passport at any of the participating stores. With each miniature Waldo they spot, searchers get their passport stamped or signed by the participating shop. Eagle-eyed hunters can also look for Wizard Whitebeard hidden in Whitelam Books! Collecting store stamps or signatures at twenty or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers entry into a raffle drawing for Waldo books and other prizes, graciously donated by the 28 participating businesses.
All participants are welcome to attend the celebration wrap party at Whitelam Books on Saturday, August 1 at 11:00AM. Whitelam Books is located in downtown Reading at 610 Main Street, near the intersection of Haven Street and Main Street. This event is free and open to the public – all are welcome!
Martin Handford’s collections of crowd scenes took the world by storm in the late 1980s, and since then the books have held a cherished place on bookstore shelves, in family libraries, and in classrooms around the world. More than 80 million Waldo books have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over thirty languages.
