Health on the Shelf: 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…
Example of finished butterfly craft
Read It, Make It: Butterfly Craft
Check out the classic story The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, the story of a little caterpillar with a very big appetite, then make a fun butterfly craft to…
Summer ArtWalk Invitation!
Calling all artists! What does summer look like to you? During the school year, the ArtWalk path between Westlake Porter Public Library (WPPL) and Westlake Elementary School (WES) features student…
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…
Westlake Porter Public Library Art Gallery
Westlake Porter Public Library is excited to host the creative efforts of the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Printmakers. The WPPL Art Gallery is filled with one of a kind pieces…
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.…
J is My Favorite Color: An Introduction to Synesthesia
A is a pretty boring gray-tan. B is brown. C is where it gets good: the exact color of Crayola's "Macaroni and Cheese" crayon. My initials, J and M, are…
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…
Read It, Make It : Snowman Craft
Find out what real animals think of the mysterious stranger that shows up one day unexpectedly in the story, Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy by Carl Sams II…
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…
Health on the Shelf: Self-Care during American Heart Month
The National Institute of Mental Health defines Self-Care as "taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health." During…
(Art)Walking in a Winter Wonderland Part 2
This month the ArtWalk path between Westlake Porter Public Library and Westlake Elementary School features snowflakes created by 1st and 2nd grade Westlake Elementary School Project Link students. There are…
Black History Month: Celebrating Black Joy
There's a lot going on in our world that is stressful, unhappy, and unpleasant. So, instead of focusing on the more unsavory aspects of the world around us, these authors…