Roald Dahl’s story “The Landlady” leapt off the page at Flat Rock Middle. As an extension of the story designed to engage the readers, students on team 8C enjoyed an immersive tea party.

In the story, the landlady, who has red fingernails and yellow chrysanthemums, poisons Billy Weaver as he drinks his tea and eats biscuits (cookies). Students were greeted by decorations of red fingernails, flowers, and bed & breakfast decor, along with tea and biscuits to enjoy while they read.

Carol Gibby’s students were surprised by the treats and loved the real-life experience.

She hopes they were able to learn a lot from it: “The joy of reading, the excitement a story can bring, the admiration of the craft of writing by an author, and the interest to continue reading,” she said. “Students commented on how fun it was, what they learned, how interesting the story was, and they are looking forward to the next story, and they are hoping food is included again!”