Regarding the Fountain

Regarding the Fountain   Kate  Klise. 

(1999). Harper Collins.  New York. 144 pg.  ISBN: 978-0-3807-9347-1 $5.99

Target Audience:

Ages 8-12, (this is the recommendation of the publisher, but I think one needs to be a good reader and a bit older to understand the jokes, wordplay and humor here.)

Synopsis/Characters:

The fountain at the Dry Creek Middle School is leaking and so a letter is sent to Flowing Waters Fountains, Etc. for a new one.  Most everyone in the school becomes involved including the Board President.   Sam N.’s fifth grade class finds that there is a mystery to be uncovered under it all.

What stands out:

The tale is told through letters, memos, postcards, school papers and documents.  The text is printed in such a way as to convey the different types of papers.  Ms Klise has a wonderful sense of humor that shows in every chapter.  The names of all characters involved relate to water somehow (Sam N. [Salmon], Florence Waters, Walter Russ, etc.) and that’s a drop in the bucket for the wordplay and humor- ;)  Ms Klise uses this sense of humor in all of her books, so if a reader were to like this book, there are more to come.

Notes for fellow SLMS or classroom teachers:

 A super mystery that could be used as a read aloud or class book as well as a great individual read for a mystery lover.

This book could be read aloud in a readers’ theater type of way.  Each person/group could take the part of one of the characters and read the correspondence from that person.

Awards:

IRA/CBC Young Adults’ Choice

Would you recommend the book to: classroom teachers, students, classmates, parents?

Yes! A super mystery with humor, wit and wordplay throughout.