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Summary: Regarding the Fountain
Review: Dry Creek Middle School has a problem - a leaky drinking fountain. You would think that this problem would be easy to solve, but not in Dry Creek. For thirty years a secret has been bottled up and the fifth grade class at Dry Creek Middle School is about to unearth it! With the help of an eccentric fountain designer, Flo Waters, and their teacher, Sam N., this class becomes a team of super-sleuths. Undeterred by Principal Walter Russ's insistence that they not consult with Flo Waters any more, the fifth grade students set out to research the history of their town and their research reveals some interesting facts about Sally Mander, School Board President and owner of the town swimming pool, and Delbert "Dee" Eel, President of Dry Creek Water Company. Dry Creek Middle School finally gets their new fountain, and the town is returned to the glory of thirty years ago before the creek mysteriously dried up! This book is delightful and will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next. Because of its format, consisting of short letters, memos, postcards, telegrams, etc., it is very easy to read. This book would be appealing to any middle school student, and fifth graders would especially enjoy these classroom capers mixed with humor. A teacher could use this book to develop skills in language arts, social studies, math, science and the arts.
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Summary: Letters, newspapers, and fountains!
Review: Dry Creek Middle School needs a new drinking fountain.
Unfortunately, some other people don't want it to have one ---
In this book of letters, lies, and leaks, you'll be entertained for hours (trying to read the writing... just kidding).
It's really funny, and a great story. Being told in letters and newspapers it's very different, but highly satisfying.
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Summary: AMAZING AND FANTABULOUS!
Review: I absolutely adored this book! As soon as I had finished it, I went online to see if she had written any other books, and lol and behold, alsong came Letters from Camp and Trial by Journal! This book is an enticing hold-on-to-your-hats book you just can't put down. Ms. Klise and Ms. Klise worked wonderfully to produce such a masterpiece, and I'm bubbling like a fountain with praise for it.
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING AND FANTABULOUS!
Review: I absolutely adored this book! As soon as I had finished it, I went online to see if she had written any other books, and lol and behold, alsong came Letters from Camp and Trial by Journal! This book is an enticing hold-on-to-your-hats book you just can't put down. Ms. Klise and Ms. Klise worked wonderfully to produce such a masterpiece, and I'm bubbling like a fountain with praise for it.
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Summary: Great Book For Kids
Review: I really liked this book. It's a lot different than any other book i've ever read. The whole story is made of letters sent back and forth, to a few different people. It's a really cute book, and is great for kids. I suggest teachers to read it for your class, your kids with deffinaly enjoy it.
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Summary: Brief Summary and Review:
Review: In a small town in the Midwest, a sequence of events changed the lives of its residents. Principal Walter Russ of Dry Creek Middle School asked Ms. Florence Waters to give him an estimate on a new water fountain for the school. His request for her services was not your normal business transaction. Ms. Waters, owner of Flowing Waters Fountains Etc., was a busy woman traveling around the world. Ms. Waters asked the students of Dry Creek Middle School to supply her with a drawing of what the school fountain should look like. Ms. Waters traveled around the world while writing to Mr. Russ about the fountain. Research conducted by the students of Dry Creek Middle School uncovered some town secrets. The school board was notified that the new water fountain needed a fresh water supply. The School Board President and the owner of the town water company seized control of the town's water supply. After many letters between Mr. Russ and Ms. Waters the fountain was built at no charge to the school. We enjoyed the book because it was easy to read, and it made us guess about the ending. It is a well-written book that can be enjoyed by anyone. Parents and teachers could use this book to promote the study of art, geography, history, language arts, and social relationships.
Rating:
Summary: Brief Summary and Review:
Review: In a small town in the Midwest, a sequence of events changed the lives of its residents. Principal Walter Russ of Dry Creek Middle School asked Ms. Florence Waters to give him an estimate on a new water fountain for the school. His request for her services was not your normal business transaction. Ms. Waters, owner of Flowing Waters Fountains Etc., was a busy woman traveling around the world. Ms. Waters asked the students of Dry Creek Middle School to supply her with a drawing of what the school fountain should look like. Ms. Waters traveled around the world while writing to Mr. Russ about the fountain. Research conducted by the students of Dry Creek Middle School uncovered some town secrets. The school board was notified that the new water fountain needed a fresh water supply. The School Board President and the owner of the town water company seized control of the town's water supply. After many letters between Mr. Russ and Ms. Waters the fountain was built at no charge to the school. We enjoyed the book because it was easy to read, and it made us guess about the ending. It is a well-written book that can be enjoyed by anyone. Parents and teachers could use this book to promote the study of art, geography, history, language arts, and social relationships.
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Summary: A Must Have Educational Tool
Review: Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
Regarding the Fountain is a most unusual and entertaining book filled with mysteries, unusual characters, and ample educational benefits. The story unfolds when Sam N's 5th grade class is assigned the task of presenting the history of Dry Creek at the annual Dry Creek Days Celebration. The class is surprised to discover that Dry Creek had changed its name thirty years ago. The town was once known as Spring Creek, but the town decided to change it when the spring dried up along with a lot of the town's businesses. As the class is researching their project, the principal of the school is distressed with the leaky water fountain at the school and wants it replaced. He writes Flo Waters, a well-known fountain designer, asking her to send designs on a new water fountain for the school. Ms. Waters corresponds back and forth with the students to get their ideas on how fountain should be designed. She is so delighted with the class that she sends them letters and artifacts from all of the places she visits. The fifth grade class uses her artifacts and their research facts for their presentation. The class unveils some interesting facts on why the water dried up and helps restore the missing water supply back to the town.
Regarding the Fountain gives teachers opportunities to integrate history, geography, math, and language arts into their reading activities. This is a very entertaining and funny book that can be read by students above 3rd grade. This adventure is highly recommended.
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Summary: Re: Fountain
Review: Some books just don't go far enough. Let's take "Regarding the Fountain" as our example in this case. Here we have the modestly different idea of revealing a mystery through a series of letters and other forms of written communication in a small town elementary school. I often have some difficulty determining how much a book should reveal if it wants its child readers to figure out the book's mystery on their own. In this particular case, I can't help but conclude that the author gives far too much away in a plot that contains too little. The book is engaging, but it's hard to say if this is because the form itself is different. The letters, memos, newpaper articles, etc. that make up the plot are diverting, but there are a couple reasons this books isn't going to be remembered in ten years or less. The illustrations are too cartoonish to effectively convey the story's otherwise realistic bent. The characters, due to the nature of the book itself, aren't adequately fleshed out. This applies especially to the students, of which the 5th grade seems to contains seven. Finally, there's the odd psuedo-romance between the school's 5th grade teacher and the artist commissioned to create a drinking fountain for the school. With a kind of "gotcha!" ending it is revealed that rather than proposing marriage the teacher has, instead, proposed painting lessons. And did I mention the personality of the "artist"? Here's where the book tripped from mildly amusing to downright annoying. What we have in this book is the old story of "an artistic teacher/artist challenges the administration's understanding of "right" and "wrong" and teaches the children that true art is within each and every one of them". Which would be all well and good if (a) this storyline hadn't been done to death already and (b) it had been done well. The principal of the school continually asks this woman for a price quotation which is comically refused him because, as a principal, he keeps asking his secretary to write his letters. Which is apparently evil. So no quotation comes and the reasons why this principal never asked any other vendor for a pricing is left unclear. Other mysteries abound. Why didn't the town investigate the sudden disappearance of water when the creek dried up if the economic stability of the city depended on it? Why would the culprits place large maps of their crime in their offices? Why would one of the culprits have done it so that she could get rich off of.... a single swimming pool? Such clumsy mistakes are not missed by children's eyes, and the author of this sordid tale should pray that the originality found in the book's form more than makes up for the lack of originality found in her plot, setting, and characters.
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Summary: Mother Daughter Book Club Review
Review: The style of this book is very interesting. It's told in the form of letters, memos, newspaper clippings, and other sorts of written correspondence.The story revolves around Dry Creek Middle School. Dry Creek is a very boring, small town. One day, there is a problem with the school fountain, and the principal writes to a Miss Florence Waters to get an estimate for a new drinking fountain. Miss Waters is a highly eccentric character, and she and the principal are constantly in miscommunication regarding this fountain. He wants a simple drinking fountain, and she is designing a grand artistic fountain. Miss Waters then decides to correspond with the fifth grade class in the Middle School. The kids fall in love with her letters and gifts. She brings new life the boring, arid town of Dry Creek. The girls loved this book. They loved the unique writing style, as well as the over the top character of Miss Waters. The mothers loved the book as well. We all particularly enjoyed the romantic innuendo between Miss Waters and the fifth grade teacher. This would be a great choice for anyone particularly a mother-daughter book club.
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