Tales of Friendship, Love, and Hospitality
Hospitality is a very special gift. It's a giving of yourself, from your time, your resources, and your heart. The tales included below are all stories of hospitality in some…
All Are Welcome!
This week is Welcoming Week at Westlake Porter Public Library! One way to celebrate this week is by reading any of these picture books that celebrate making connections and diversity.…
Suma Vacation
Hello everyone! Suma the Puma here. I love being the beautiful face of the Westlake Porter Library's Youth Services department, but sometimes I wish for a little more adventure in…
Make a Jump Rope with Plastic Bags
plastic bag jump rope Let's be kind to our planet by thinking of ways to use less plastic and finding creative uses for the plastics that we already have. Making…
A page from Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
Read It, Make It: Ice Cream Face
Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield The Ezra Jack Keats Award–winning author Heidi Woodward Sheffield brings to life the anxiety and excitement involved in waiting for ice cream in…
Read It, Make It : Mindful Breath Wand
Discover the joy of slowing down and living in the moment. In Mindful Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson. Sasha, who loves to do lots of things, all at once, and as…
Libby, Hoopla, and ComicsPlus: Which Should I Use and When?
Westlake Porter Public Library has a whole host of excellent Download and Stream options. From ebooks to movies, we have a little something for everyone. But, sometimes with this much…
Folklore Fun! Indigenous Tales of North America
This post was updated in May 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. I did a lot more reading than usual while I was prepping for this blog post. Until now,…
STEAM Week Project: Salt Paintings
Salt paintings really pop on dark backgrounds. This multi-colored heart was painted on black construction paper. Salt is a very familiar ingredient in the kitchen. There are hardly any recipes,…
Egg Drop Challenge
The last two years saw the annual WPPL Egg Drop Challenge as a streamed event. This year, we are back in person and the splatters will be heard live in…
STEAM Week: Sand and Shells
My favorite place in the world has to be the beach. The warmth of the morning, the heat of the afternoon, and the cool of the night--it's always a lovely…
Read It, Make It : Fish Suncatcher
Discover the joy of generosity in friendship with the book The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister then make a beautiful rainbow fish suncatcher. Maybe you could even show your own generosity by…
Spineless, Brainless, Beautiful, and Deadly: The World of the Jellyfish
If you ask me, the jellyfish is one of the most beautiful animals in nature. These gorgeous creatures, which do not possess brains, spines, or even eyes or ears, come…
Read It, Make It: Fourth of July!
Get excited about July 4 by reading one of these books, then create a festive patriotic blower to help you celebrate! Have fun! These books are available to check our…
Graphic Novels and the Fate of Literacy
Visit my webcomic, No Pizza After Midnight, for more fun comics! Don't make the same mistake I did! Check out all these great graphic novels: Bone, American Born Chinese, Robot…
Read It, Make It: Dandelion Craft
The classic children's book, Dandelion by Don Freeman reminds readers that it's always best to just be yourself. Read the book then make a fun lion craft. You'll need to head outside…
Read It, Make It: Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! I want to see bugs! Bob Barner's Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! is filled with bright and colorful illustrations of bugs that seem to bounce off the page. Check…
The Sherlock Holmes Canon: A Celebration for Sherlock Holmes Day (May 22, 2022)
For the longest time, I've considered myself a Sherlock Holmes fan. But, until very recently (within the last two years or so) I would be forced to admit that I…
Fun and Ridiculous Adventures at Wayside School
Summer is almost here, and the last thing anyone wants to talk about is school. Summer is a time for relaxing, having fun, and forgetting all about getting up for…
Read It, Make It: Paper Flower and Cone Craft
The beautifully illustrated wordless book Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith is an ode to the importance of small things, small people, and small gestures. In this story that unfolds…
Read it, Make It: May the 4th edition!
Celebrate May the 4th by checking out a Star Wars picture book. If you can't make it to the library, you can check out a Star Wars book from our…
Folklore Fun! African American Tales
This post was updated in April 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. Where people go, stories follow. The African diaspora, unjustly facilitated by the brutal Atlantic Slave Trade, forcibly sent…
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 Little Birdie Told Me…
That there is new art work in the ArtWalk! This month the ArtWalk path between Westlake Porter Public Library and Westlake Elementary School features spring birds created by Kindergarten Westlake…