Regarding the Fountain: A Tale, in Letters, of Liars and Leaks

Regarding the... #1

by Kate Klise, M. Sarah Klise (Illustrator)

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 chronicled in letters, postcards, memos, transcripts, and official documents. The school board president is up in arms. So is Dee Eel, of the water-supply company. A scandal is brewing, and Mr. Sam N.'s fifth grade class is turning up a host of hilarious secrets buried deep beneath the fountain.

Genres: Middle Grade, Humor, Fiction, Childrens, Mystery, Juvenile, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

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 books as well as the bestselling 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Kate Klise's first adult novel, In the Bag, was released in 2012.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 kids in a 5th grade class and that's about the target age of these books but I still found it to be a fun and incredibly charming read!

[Francesca Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my now-adult kids was telling me about this; she read it when she was growing up. She said it was an epistolary-and-document story, and I love those, so I got it out.

So good! Very cute, fun presentation--lots of different ways messages and information are passed along (memos, letters, faxes, newspaper stories--even menus and floral receipts), and a story that touches on water rights, corporate greed, and hidden history, but all done in a very lighthearted fashion. All the names are water related, Florence Waters, Walter Russ (called "Wally" by the aforementioned Florence--get it? Wally Russ?), Sally Mander and so forth. Since I like salamanders and eels, I was sad that Sally Mander and Dee Eel were the bad guys, but I can be philosophical about it.

I'm wondering if this story is taught in elementary schools--I'm wondering because the copy I borrowed had lots of penciled underlining and notes in a young person's hand. These were cute: "Dig Dirt Ms. Waters" on the page where Dee Eel is suggesting to Sally Mander that they find dirt on Florence Waters (the unstoppable force who changes lives for the better in Dry Creek, MO), and "Cause Effect" on a letter from the fifth-grade class to Florence, in which they tell her that their town changed its name from Spring Creek to Dry Creek when the creek mysteriously dried up, thirty years ago.

Anyway, a lot of fun!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to meet an epistolary novel that I haven't enjoyed and Regarding the Fountain is no exception. I read this fun, quirky book in one sitting as I did not want to put it down. I have since learned this is a whole series of books and I have already checked them out from my library.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Tamara York · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun middle grade novel in letters, drawings, and newspaper clippings. Visually it was terrific! The concept of a ridiculously ornate fountain in a school would delight young readers. I wish the plot and mystery had been stronger. If it had, I would be teaching this book in my co-op class. But it sadly falls a little flat in that department.

[The Busta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as funny, clever, and charming as I remember it being. A perfect outside-the-box middle-grade book.

[Liberty O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Amy Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story! I've never read an epistolary novel before, but it was one of the prompts for my 52 books in 2023 challenge. I loved the fact that the story really didn't need any fluff between the letters. The characters were all funny (even the bad, weasel-like ones). I gave it a 4 star read!

[Jan Polep · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[christine ✩]

SCREAM I'm obsessed this is fully just so. It's funny. And remarkably well-thought out. Also it's 1:30am and I'm going to be on a bus in two hours lol sleep who is she

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Dry Creek Middle School needs a new drinking fountain since their current one has sprung a leak. The principal wants a simple fountain, but the fifth-grade students have very different ideas for what is needed and want Florence Waters to design their fountain. This decision leads to a madcap race to determine the final design, discover the history of the town of Dry Creek and unearth many secrets, big and small, changing the town of Dry Creek forever.

This was a laugh-out-loud book told in letters, memos and newspaper articles. Fabulous drawings illustrate the changing nature of the fountain as the kids send in suggestions to Florence, while the school principal tries frantically to keep the students and the designer on track. Ms. Waters encourages the students with their designs, while leading them on an investigative inquiry into the town’s problems. Klise throws in snippets of world history and definitions of new words. Even the names of many characters are a joke.

Kids will love the fountain designs and enjoy watching the kids outsmart the adults around them, ably encouraged by Ms. Waters.

There are five books in this series and I’m planning on reading them all! -Lynn H.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 independently wealthy, fountain designer lady. This was good to expose my 10-yr-old to a different type of story, and he enjoyed it.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with the children. Fun book created in an unconventional manner! Very clever!

[Olivia]

awesome book i remember reading this when i was in fourth grade walking home from school and it was raining a little but i didn't want to stop reading the book so i just let it get really wet

now read it in one sitting after zoe and i worked on our magnum opus collaborative piece for like two and a half hours

both times: perfect

[Madi Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute way to introduce kids to books that are made up completely of letters and other correspondences, no narration. It’ll be a cool discussion to have about the differences and students’ preferences.

[CadEn Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, cute book.
So many ideas for teaching with it or acting it out!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book i've ever read. the author really outdid herself with both the writing, the plot, the character development, everything was amazing. i'm obsessed.

[Glenna Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clever, funny, and the best book I've read this year for fun.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as silly and fun as I remember. I read this when I was a kid and remembered liking it, but remembered little else. So much of it is not realistic at all (it's not meant to be), it's just silly fun with a little bit of mystery, a little bit of art and travel, and a whole lot of punny names and hilarious characters!🥰

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This format of the story unfolding solely through letters and newspaper clippings was not as revolutionary as I remembered it being from elementary school and the on-the-nose names were a little less charming (Pearl O. Ster, Sally Mander). However, one part of it that endured well for me as an older reader was the fountain design creativity, both written out by the kids (buttons for chocolate milk, lemonade, etc options; an attached waterslide; a fish tank fountain base) and illustrated in beautiful detail. I will probably go re-read Klise's other related books, Regarding the Sink and Regarding the Bathrooms, if only to look at the wonderful illustrations.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 eccentric artist who has been hired to build a new fountain for them.

I'm not a big fan of this style of writing. I don't like all the different formats. None of the kids in my class really liked this one either. I really have no idea who picks these books for the Battle of the Books.

[☆ Kelsey ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 again and I buy it this time. It still makes me very happy even with an older mindset. This is the book that made me interested in letter writing, reading newspapers (even though it was starting to go away when I was younger) and it still gives me inspiration.

I would completely recommend this book to kids and even adults. It's a quick read but well worth it.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical tale of the efforts of an annoying school principal to obtain a new drinking fountain for the fifth grade of his school, and the mystery to be solved about said fountain.



The form suits the telling well, and I enjoyed all the pictures and digressions, and particularly, the watery names of all the cast (Sam N. is my fave).



Perhaps a bit self-consciously cute, but cute, nonetheless.And I always enjoy a story about how a group of folks with very straightforward and concrete aims can do real good in the world.



School library copy, loaned to me by my sixh-grader.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Dry Creek, MO. 144 pp. This is an absolutely enchanting, humorous story. I loved the characters, and the plot, and the illustrations... all came together to make this a completely silly and engaging story. Cheers for Florence Waters!

Found online at https://archive.org/details/regarding...

Regarding the Fountain a Tale, in Letters, of Liars & Leaks by Kate Klise

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this allegorical tale and fun mystery told in an unusual manner. I think this series is some of the best work by Sarah and Kate Klise.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids were reading it for school, so I thought I'd read it too - it was cute!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

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...