By Kitty Felde
Perhaps it’s all the hoopla connected to the coronation of Charles III. Or maybe it’s the new “Bridgerton” prequel. Afternoon tea is back!
And it can help entice reluctant readers to pick up a book.
I recently spoke with a school librarian who has done everything but invite the Mad Hatter into her library. It all started when a couple of girls asked if they could eat their lunch in the library…as long as they promised they’d be talking about books. The librarian was delighted. A book club was born.
Somehow, lunchtime became tea time with kids meeting in the library after school just to talk about books. More kids wanted to join the book group. And more. Even a few boys wanted in on the munching and chewing over book titles and plots. The librarian introduced cookies and lemonade.
Finally, to celebrate the end of the school year, the book club turned into a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, complete with scones, tiny sandwiches, and funny hats. The book club could hardly wait until next year to continue the conversation.
I’m a big fan of afternoon tea. My own bridal shower was a tea party, complete with floral bonnets and homemade scones. Friends still ask when we can do it again. It sounds like the perfect way to start a book club for grownups..and for kids.
There’s nothing like a “cuppa”…and a lively book discussion.
Kitty Felde’s mystery about the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill “Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza” (Chesapeake Press) will be released in English and Spanish on July 3rd.