The Classic of the Month: The Devil and Daniel Webster
Welcome to the newest installment of The Classic of the Month! This month, we're going to be looking at one of my all-time favorite short stories, a tale of a…
The Benefits of Water, Inside and Out
Humans and water are inseparable. We drink it, work with it, exhale it, and play with it. The human body can only last mere days without it. It has been…
This is Your Brain on Puzzles
Besides being ridiculously fun, puzzles are also incredibly good for your brain! If you want to improve your logic skills, sharpen your mind, and have a bit of fun in…
Buried Alive: Graveside Tales of Terror
I recently read the shocking Poe story, "The Premature Burial". And it got me thinking...which horror novels feature someone getting buried alive? Or what other stories in general feature such…
Sherlock Holmes Meets the Monsters
A few days ago, I shared a list: Sherlock Holmes vs. the Vampire. Today, I wanted to look at Holmes' adventures against other monsters. Unless something squeaks by me, there…
The Classic of the Month: Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
This month, we're going to look at a scary short story, instead of a full-length novel. This chilling little tale will not be a very long read (or listen, if…
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…
More Than One Story
More Than One Story is a card game designed to build bridges between people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. Our staff checked out some of the questions posed in…
Andy Serkis Reads Lord of the Rings
I've been a Lord of the Rings fan for years--in that I've seen the movies (extended editions!) at least half a dozen times, and I quote it often enough. But,…
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…
The Classic of the Month: Don Quixote
Welcome to the Classic of the Month-- an ongoing series dedicated to putting the right classic into the hands of the right reader! This month, we're looking at a really…
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…
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…
The Universal Monsters
I'm a big fan of classic horror and the grouping of films about the Universal Monsters are my favorites. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man...I can't get enough of these big…
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,…
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…
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…
Ten 1950s Sci-Fi Films for World UFO Day
World UFO Day is today (July 2nd) and as a librarian with a passion for classic horror films, I though it would be fun to celebrate the occasion with some…
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…
Ligeia, Morella, and Annabel Lee: The Women of Poe
Reading Edgar Allan Poe is like a fever dream. And the more that I read from the Master of the Macabre, the more I realize that he had a very…
I Want My Mummy: Tales of Reanimation, Reincarnation, and Revenge
I enjoy a good horror story, and there's something genuinely chilling about a mummy story. The idea of a being that has survived for hundreds, if nothing thousands of years,…
The Classic of the Month: Silas Marner
Welcome to our second installment of The Classic of the Month! Last month, we looked at the perennially popular Pride and Prejudice. This month, we'll be exploring a slightly less…
Sherlock Holmes: A Study in…
it's only logical that when someone is trying to write a parody or adaptation of a classic story, they will often try to write a title that is similar to…