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Regarding the Fountain: A Tale, in Letters, of Liars and Leaks
(Regarding the... #1)
by
The Dry Creek Middle School drinking fountain has sprung a leak, so principal Walter Russ dashes off a request to Flowing Waters Fountains, Etc.
...We need a new drinking fountain. Please send a catalog.
Designer Flo Waters responds:
"I'd be delighted...but please understand that all of my fountains are custom-made."
Soon the fountain project takes on a life of its own, one ch ...more
...We need a new drinking fountain. Please send a catalog.
Designer Flo Waters responds:
"I'd be delighted...but please understand that all of my fountains are custom-made."
Soon the fountain project takes on a life of its own, one ch ...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
March 9th 1999
by HarperCollins
(first published 1998)
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Start your review of Regarding the Fountain: A Tale, in Letters, of Liars and Leaks
Still an incredibly cute and fun story. If you've read some of my other reviews you'll know how much I love stories written in letters and email and newspapers and other cool formats so of course I loved these books as a kid and I continue to really enjoy it! In excited to continue on my re read of this series. The mystery in this book unfolds very well even now that I'm older and the characters are just so charming. I still find the writing incredibly clever and fun. This book is written about
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Such a delight! Smart, clever, without being annoying or show-off-y (I can't stand it when authors are witty just to show that they can be!) A brisk, charming read. Fun, with engaging characters and a nifty format (letters, memos, drawings, etc.) I guess this is the first of a series, so I will be looking for more. I must say that I figured out the "mystery" pretty early on, but perhaps for kids it will require a bit more puzzling.
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I read this ages ago - fifth grade, I think - and it's still clever and hilarious and delightful.
The series goes on too long, though: I read them all today, and while the format remains as clever as ever, the plots become more ridiculous and less distinctive - and therefore measurably less delightful. ...more
The series goes on too long, though: I read them all today, and while the format remains as clever as ever, the plots become more ridiculous and less distinctive - and therefore measurably less delightful. ...more
This book was assigned to me by my teacher as a BOB. At first I didn't like it but then I started to love it. The funny names and letters gave me something to enjoy over break.
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You may have missed this when it was published in 1999 but what a cool book written in letter, email, newspaper articles, newsletter ... "while you were out" notes, etc concerning a 5th grade class that is trying to get a drinking fountain replaced in there school. Anyone 8 or older will get a kick out of the plot if you can suspend what you believe a super duper fountain should look like. Loved it.
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A few weeks ago I randomly remembered this book and how much I enjoyed it in middle school. I found a used copy on thrift books and read it as soon as it came. Absolutely delightful!
Such a fun, cute book.
So many ideas for teaching with it or acting it out!
So many ideas for teaching with it or acting it out!
This was an adorable book I spotted on the shelves at the public library. I'd never heard of it! I was drawn in by the title but then sold when I saw the format.
I love how this book is told through a series of letters, post cards, announcements, newspaper articles, and memos. It is visually a lot of fun to read with many fonts, hand writings, and pictures.
The story centers around Dry Creek Middle School needing a new drinking fountain, Mr. N's 5th grade class, Florence Waters of Flowing Fountai ...more
I love how this book is told through a series of letters, post cards, announcements, newspaper articles, and memos. It is visually a lot of fun to read with many fonts, hand writings, and pictures.
The story centers around Dry Creek Middle School needing a new drinking fountain, Mr. N's 5th grade class, Florence Waters of Flowing Fountai ...more
Review #2 - June 2019
Reading for the BOB again! I actually enjoyed the book more this time through. I was paying more attention because I was writing practice questions.
I appreciated the funny names more this time through. I still don't like reading this style, but it works for this book.
Review #1 - March 2017
Why is the drinking fountain leaking at school? It's a mystery that the class has to solve!
Told through letters, memos and postcards, this is the story of a class who befriends an eccentr ...more
Reading for the BOB again! I actually enjoyed the book more this time through. I was paying more attention because I was writing practice questions.
I appreciated the funny names more this time through. I still don't like reading this style, but it works for this book.
Review #1 - March 2017
Why is the drinking fountain leaking at school? It's a mystery that the class has to solve!
Told through letters, memos and postcards, this is the story of a class who befriends an eccentr ...more
My kids were reading it for school, so I thought I'd read it too - it was cute!
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Picked this up on a whim and ended up really loving it. Great mystery, fast read, and memorable characters. May have to read more of Kate Klise's books...
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Loved this little book! Quick and funny read!
I think I’ve read this book at least a dozen times and yet it never gets old.
I haven't read this bad boys is years, but once I cracked open the first page it all came rushing back! The illustrations, the letters, the punny names, and the town scandal. It all holds up! The story is told through memos, postcards, letters, newspaper clippings, and various other correspondence - it's really unique! Dry Creek Middle School is in need of a new fountain so the principal reaches out to Flowing Waters Fountains to commission a new one - what he didn't bank on was the exuberant na
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I first read this book when I was eleven. It is super short, and great for kids, so it was easy for me to read it in one day. I have long wanted to get back to this silly and fun series, and after purchasing the books I could read them again and understand them better.
The series is told through letters, memos, newspapers, notes and the like. There is a certain novelty to this, but I'm not sure the story could be told any other way anyway. The story and plot is very silly, and it is full with pun ...more
The series is told through letters, memos, newspapers, notes and the like. There is a certain novelty to this, but I'm not sure the story could be told any other way anyway. The story and plot is very silly, and it is full with pun ...more
Here's my story of this book. I remember being a little girl and this book was one that my teacher recommended to class. I think I was in 3rd or 4th grade and I loved books, so I picked it up from my library and read it. I absolutely loved it. I had never seen a book with a story written in newspaper articles, letters, memos and I could not get enough of it. So I read it again and again until I moved onto young adult novels. But I never forgot it.
So last year, I start remembering this book agai ...more
So last year, I start remembering this book agai ...more
Do you have favorite childhood book? I have many, and several of them are books that are never, ever, leaving my collection. This is one such tome.
A leaking drinking fountain. A middle school full of smart students and irritable principals. Evil doers! And a fountain designer who is happy to let the truth flow. These are some of the building blocks of this very, very charming story.
Its a story told entirely in letters (a framing device that I love), with charming illustrations and funny, good s ...more
A leaking drinking fountain. A middle school full of smart students and irritable principals. Evil doers! And a fountain designer who is happy to let the truth flow. These are some of the building blocks of this very, very charming story.
Its a story told entirely in letters (a framing device that I love), with charming illustrations and funny, good s ...more
A fun read with the story revealed through letter correspondence. The different fonts and drawings makes you slow down and enjoy the clever puns and see if there are any clues hidden there.
The Dry Creek middle school has a leaking fountain it is getting steadily worse. The principal contacts Flowing Fountain for a replacement basic school fountain and the fun begins. I like the way the secret letters between Sally Mander and Delbert Eel give you a feeling that there is something not right hap ...more
The Dry Creek middle school has a leaking fountain it is getting steadily worse. The principal contacts Flowing Fountain for a replacement basic school fountain and the fun begins. I like the way the secret letters between Sally Mander and Delbert Eel give you a feeling that there is something not right hap ...more
Random pick up off the library shelves. Fun little story. I tend to like this style of using letters, memos, phone messages, documents, etc. to tell a story with different points of view. This one is fast and silly. The replacement of a leaky drinking fountain at the middle school in a dying little California town creates drama among the adults and reveals secrets, all in a very young reader way. The characters are a little over-the-top, especially the "inspiring," free thinking, apparently inde
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This book was one of my childhood favorites. I remember reading this in the 4th grade, and it changed how I viewed books forever. I love the format, how it’s told in letters, memos, and newspaper articles. The names too, how could I forget the characters names. It was something that stood out to me as well. It was nostalgic to go back and revisit it again. I don’t think I’ve read it since elementary school. As an adult, I definitely understand more of what happened than I did when I was a child.
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I mostly remember this because it was the first epistolary novel I ever read (but I didn't know the term "epistolary" when I first read this as a young child, so I only figured that out later). It also had a plot that, for lack of better words, I found...satisfying, because of the detailed descriptions. Sure, it's pretty exaggerated, but when I was young, I found the meaningful names funny and what happened in the story quite interesting. It's a good book for kids.
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Reading the Fountain by Katie Klise is another book for the Battle of the Books.
To me it was somewhat strange and humorous.
The whole story was written in letter form between students, teacher, principal, artist, and
school board president. Add a bit of a mystery and it is somewhat interesting.
The middle school needs a new drinking fountain. The character Florence has a very different idea in mind
when you say fountain. #battleofthebooks2018 #middlegradebooks
To me it was somewhat strange and humorous.
The whole story was written in letter form between students, teacher, principal, artist, and
school board president. Add a bit of a mystery and it is somewhat interesting.
The middle school needs a new drinking fountain. The character Florence has a very different idea in mind
when you say fountain. #battleofthebooks2018 #middlegradebooks
It is very punny. Puns intended. This is a fun punny book. It's about a middle school, Dry Creek Middle School, needs a new water fountain. Flo water is the owner of Flowing Waters Fountains Ect. was asked by the principal, Walter Russ, to build a new fountain. But, where that fountain was placed hid a big secret.
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I remember my 4th grade teacher reading this to my class and everyone LOVING it. I read it aloud to Addison (age 8) and it was just as wonderful. Witty, clever, creative, exciting and a little bit of mystery. Definitely a book I would read (not listen to) because it’s all letters, faxes, memos, postcards, etc, with many illustrations. A very fun read. And apparently there are a couple sequels!
Wasn't my favourite Kate Klise novel, but still was an enjoyable read. The school is looking for a new water fountain and Flo is going to build them the best one that there is! Told through letters, memos and documents, it was a fun, enjoyable read.
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It got better as it went along. I would call this the precursor of graphic novels, but I found it a bit tedious to read because of the changing font, changing font size, changing forms (ads, transcripts, memos, letters). Ha, those are probably all the things that others LOVE about this book. ;)
I absolutely loved this book when I was a kid. I loved how clever the character names were, and I loved the feeling of being in the know before the characters. A great book for kiddos to introduce them to puns and detective style stories.
Very cute story, told through letters and other forms of communications that hail back to the 1990s. Unfortunately, I don't think 21st century kids would get as much enjoyment out of this book as when I first read this as a kid.
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This is a cute book, a simple mystery, told in letters, memos, post cards, interviews, newspaper articles, etc. I have a lot of questions about Florence and how she gets her money… but none of this book is realistic anyway. More fanciful.
What a creative story! I enjoyed this so much. I couldn't put it down. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and I loved the way there were memos and pictures and not just the words. It was such a fun book!
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Catherine "Kate" Klise is an American author of children's literature. Many of her books are illustrated by her sister, M. Sarah Klise. Their popular Regarding series is presented in a scrapbook style format, with letters, journal entries, and related ephemera telling the story. She is also known for her picture ...more
Catherine "Kate" Klise is an American author of children's literature. Many of her books are illustrated by her sister, M. Sarah Klise. Their popular Regarding series is presented in a scrapbook style format, with letters, journal entries, and related ephemera telling the story. She is also known for her picture ...more
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