Folklore Fun! Nigeria
This post was updated in September 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. I have a giant spreadsheet of books with folkloric influences. The main challenge I have with these blog…
The Science of Spice
Creating a flavorful dish often requires ingenuity and trial and error. The right spice or spice blend can make or break a recipe, sort of like a catalyst in a…
STEAM Week: Easy DIY Zoetrope
This DIY Zoetrope project creates movement in design and is the perfect way to celebrate STEAM Week with your children. Making a Zoetrope encourages your children to practice multiple skills…
Mammoth Math by David Macaulay, pp. 84-85
David Macaulay: When Art and Science Meet
There is no one like David Macaulay. His picture book Black and White won the Caldecott medal for it's unique split-screen storytelling (four narratives play out side-by-side, leaving the reader…
Dino-Mite Books
Freddy Fossil's Dino Show comes to the Porter Room on Monday, July 10 at 7:00pm as part of STEAM Week. To celebrate, here are some great dinosaur books in the…
The Classic of the Month: Harold and the Purple Crayon
It was one of my favorite books as a child and its still one of my favorite nostalgia reads now. This month's classic is a heartwarming tale of a young…
Video Game Movies and Shows
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out on DVD and BluRay today! This action-packed adventure is one of the highest grossing animated films of all time and there is already…
Medium Monday: Watercolor
What Is Watercolor? Watercolor paint usually comes as a solid cake or a tube of gel. Both substances are a highly concentrated pigment, meant to be diluted with water. The…
Folklore Fun! Oceania and the Philippines
This post was updated in August 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. Ohio is not known for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. And since the Westlake Porter Library does…
Dig Into a Story!
"There's More to the Story!" is the theme for 2023's National Library Week. What better way to find out more about a story than to dig into the story with…
Free Little Art Gallery
https://blogs.westlakelibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/flag.mp4 Westlake Porter Public Library is excited to announce the opening of Cleveland's first Free Little Art Gallery. The FLAG is a micro-art gallery and is intended to inspire creativity…
There’s More to the Story! Non-Traditional Items
Westlake Porter Public Library circulates books, sure, but did you know you can check out a DVD player? That's just one of the non-traditional items that the library makes available…
An Illustration Celebration!
We all know the saying: picture is worth a thousand words. But do we really need to pit them against each other? Art and language have long been partners in…
Looking at Poetry in a New Light
You may not at all think of yourself as a creative person, but you would be wrong. Have you ever thought of a new way to solve a problem? Taken…
Learn a New Language from the Comfort of Home!
Expand your horizons and increase your appeal in the job market by learning a new language. From Spanish to Swahili, the library offers two databases, Mango Languages and Transparent Language…
The Doctor Is (Still) In
Theodor Geisel, known by millions worldwide as Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2, 1904. Over a hundred years later, educators still celebrate Dr. Suess' legacy in the month of…
A Quick History of Black Cartoonists
American comic strips have been around for just over a century. The newspaper business took off around 1900, and comics were one way to draw more readers to the paper.…
George Washington Carver, seated on steps, with staff
Discover Black Inventors during Black History Month
Every February we celebrate the history and achievements of Black Americans and every February I learn something new. This year is no exception. While I knew about several of these…
An Awesome Array of ABC Adventures
We all know the classics---Sandra Boynton's lovable board book and Dr. Seuss's wacky easy reader have been prominent for decades. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is another perennial favorite, and its…
Read It, Make It : Paper Bird Craft
There was once a time when all the colors, from midsummer blue to sunrise orange, lived at the tips of Annie's fingers. But when her classmate's sidelong glances cause Annie…
15 Classic Children’s Books for Readers of All Ages
There's nothing quite like a classic children's book. As I'm sure many of my dedicated readers already know, this librarian is a huge fan of the classics. And I especially…
Read It, Make It : Sending a Hug in the Mail
Artie loves giving hugs. But she can't give a hug to her Grandma who lives so far away. Instead, she shows us how to send hugs using the magic of…
Folklore Fun! Winter Traditions
This post was updated in August 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. Seasons Ohioans are no strangers to winter weather. December means low temperatures, big sweaters, and sometimes even snow!…
Reading Challenge 2023
Hello, readers! Every year, I put together a big reading challenge for the staff here at the library. This comprises of 40+ prompts that they can use to help them…