Staying Spooky with S.E. Schlosser
As we enter into August, something strange starts happening in my head. Namely, I start thinking about Halloween. And yes, I know, it's really early for that sort of thing,…
Andrew Lang’s Rainbow Fairy Books
There is nothing quite like settling in with a great collection of fairy tales. My colleague, Jessica, has written at length about the topic, and today, I'd like to throw…
Folklore Fun! India
India is a huge country, with an enormously rich pantheon of folklore that changes depending on which part of the country you’re from, and I wanted to tell a story…
Genre Journeys: Fairy Tales
When I was a child, there was nothing I enjoyed quite like reading fairytales. These stories of princesses and peasants and monsters and magic were so delightful to me, and…
Folklore Fun! Latin American Tales
It's hard to believe that I've written eleven installments of the Folklore Fun series! Yet, I knew that there was still a huge geographical region that I hadn't explored yet:…
Folklore Fun! China
This post was updated in October 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. I started this blog post with zero knowledge about Chinese folklore. Fortunately, WPPL has a great selection of…
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…
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…
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!…
Folklore Fun! Slavic Tales
This post was updated in July 2026 to reflect WPPL’s current collection. Just when I stared considering my next folklore post, I saw The Castle of Tangled Magic on display.…
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,…
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…
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.…
Folklore Fun! Japan
This post was updated in February 2026 to reflect WPPL's current collection. For my first focused Folklore Fun post (say that five times fast!) I decided to feature Japan! I…
Folklore Fun! A World of Stories
This post was updated in February 2026 to reflect WPPL's current collection. Wherever there are people, there are stories. Stories about why flowers are red, and how the world was…