If the thought of chronic loafing this summer leaves you listless, b. dazzle inc. (website) has nine new Scramble Squares puzzles to keep your brain from flat-lining during those dog-days ahead.

The new puzzles are Fairies, Great Lakes’ Lighthouses, Lewis and Clark (just in time for the bicentennial celebration of their expedition), Philidelphia, Primates, Rodeo, Snakes of North America, Renoir and Stingrays. The Renoir Scramble Squares puzzle is the first in b. dazzle’s new “Fine Arts” series. The nine new puzzles bring the company’s total to 91, with new puzzles introduced every six months.

Mathematics researchers have determined that each puzzle’s nine pieces have 95,126,814,720 possible arrangements—but only one combination is right, making the Scramble Squares slogan, “ Easy to Play but Hard to Solve,” no exaggeration. The puzzles claim to teach critical thinking, patience, perseverance, statistical probabilities and both cooperative and solitary productivity.

Scramble Squares made the top 100 of the 11th annual Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products of the Year, as well as being featured in the Dec. 2002 Games magazine “100 Best Games Rated” buyers guide.

Each Scramble Squares puzzle comes in its own clear vinyl travel pouch, allowing its art to be both displayed and protected. Scramble Squares retail for $7.95 ($3.98 wholesale). For more information, go to b-dazzle.com.

Writer's Bio: Tim Connolly has a degree in film production form the University of Texas at Austin and writes screenplays when he isn’t test-driving remote control speed boats in his bathtub.

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