Terror in the Snow
There is something beautiful and haunting and even a little scary about the cold. The silent isolation of a snow-covered mountain, the rising unease that comes with being "snowed in,"…
Introducing Large Print Classics!
I'm very excited to introduce a new addition to our collection! Patrons have been asking and we've answered with a new selection of Large Print classics for your reading enjoyment!…
Beautiful Portraits of Our Animal Friends
Whether they're our companions or something we watch in awe from afar, animals are such an important part of our lives (and such a fascinating topic of interest). The books…
A Small List of Giant Books
What is it about giants that capture our imaginations? Perhaps it's just that they're so big. There's something awe-inspiring, frightening, and exciting about a creature that is so much bigger…
Introducing Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment
Westlake Porter Public Library is proud to present the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment! Offered through WPPL, the service is aimed at helping adults acquire the technology skills they need in…
Folklore Fun! Scandinavia
This post was updated in March 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. What do the God of Thunder and Disney Queen Elsa have in common? Popular movie franchises? Well, yes.…
National Library Week: Connect to your Health
I confess, I have a relative who asks me every time I see him, "how are all the books?" I try my best to remind him that while books are…
April is Deaf History Month
This year Deaf History Month will be celebrated from April 1-30th, according to The National Association of the Deaf. This month shines a light on Deaf culture and its background…
Health Highlights: Clean Eats
Spring is here . . Spring Cleaning . . . Clean Eating! What is clean eating? According to the Mayo Clinic, clean eating is eating foods that are as close…
A Case of Mistaken Identity
At the end of 2021, I shared my yearly Reading Challenge. Throughout the year, I'm going to share some lists that might help with some of the prompts provided. Of…
Five Fabulous Films to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
I come from a proud family of Cleveland Irish Catholics, and of course St. Patrick's Day is always a time of celebration. Ever since I was a kid, one of…
Author Spotlight: Lewis Carroll
I still remember the illustrations from when I first read Alice in Wonderland. They were done in beautiful gouache, and the book was so big that I had to prop…
Using the NoveList Appeal Mixer
Today, let's talk about NoveList! This is one of my favorite databases offered at the library. It's a great resource for finding your next favorite read. From author, title, and…
Follow the Yellow Brick Road: The Complete Series of The Wizard of Oz books
I was a very avid reader as a child, and my grade school library had a lot of old books. So, I very quickly developed a passion for reading older…
Fascinating Near-Future Science Fiction Books
Science fiction has a bit of a reputation for predicting the future. Is good science fiction fortune-telling, or is it talented authors following the latest scientific breakthroughs and their own…
What I’m Reading: March 2022
I don't know about you, but when it comes to books, it appears that my eyes are bigger than my stomach (or rather, my library bag is bigger than my…
Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Adaptations
If you've been reading my blog posts long enough, you'll know that I enjoy a good scary story, a good folktale, and a good classic. So, I guess it's a…
Author Spotlight: John Steinbeck
When I was in high school, if you were to ask me who my favorite author was, hands down I would have told you John Steinbeck. It was no question.…
Subscribe to Online Book Clubs
It will come as no surprise to my readers that I read a lot of different things. And sometimes, I don't have the time to sit down with a whole…
Black History Month Films v.3 – 2000 to 2022
In this series of posts, we are focusing on contributions from African American artists to the world of film. We're going through the decades to highlight everything from the early…
Seeing Double: Twenty-Two “Twos” Books for Tuesday, 2/22/2022
Today is February 22, 2022. It is also Tuesday. Which means, today is an excellent day for anyone whose favorite number is two, as it's two-two-two-two-two-two...you get the idea. So,…
Author Spotlight: Toni Morrison
Today is Toni Morrison's birthday, so let's celebrate this amazing Ohio author with an Author Spotlight! Toni's books skillfully blend elements of fantasy and magical realism with the brutal realities…
Black History Month Films v.2 – 1960 to 2000
In this series of posts, we are focusing on contributions from African American artists to the world of film. We're going through the decades to highlight everything from the early…
Romantic Manga for Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air and between the pages of our favorite manga! Why not check out some of the romantic reads we have here at the library? From slow…