Regarding the Fountain facts for kids

Regarding the Fountain is a fun children's book written by Kate Klise in 1998. It's the first book in an exciting series that takes place in Missouri.

This book is special because it's told completely through letters, memos, postcards, and even old-fashioned telegraphs! The story happens in a town called Dry Creek, Missouri. Thirty years before the story begins, the town's main spring mysteriously dried up. At the same time, a new middle school opened. The book follows a class of fifth graders taught by Sam N. They write to Florence Waters, a famous fountain designer. She has agreed to help fix a leaky water fountain at their school.

The series continues with other books: Regarding the Sink, Regarding the Trees, Regarding the Bathrooms, and Regarding the Bees.

What Happens in the Story?

The book tells the story of Florence Waters, a creative and unique fountain designer. She wants to build a special and beautiful fountain for the kids in Dry Creek. As she works, funny misunderstandings happen. The kids start to uncover a big secret that surprises everyone in town. In the end, they get an amazing fountain and a new friend. But then, Sam N.'s class finds out the real truth about why the creek dried up years ago.

It turns out that two people, Sally Mander and Delbert "Dee" Eel, secretly blocked the pipes that led to the spring. They sent the water to Dee's water company and Sally's swimming pool instead! They did this to make a lot of money. But one day, some smart fifth-graders figured out their trick. Sally and Dee were stopped and faced consequences for their actions. The city, which was once called Spring Creek and then Dry Creek, was finally renamed Geyser Creek.

Meet the Characters

In Regarding the Fountain and the other books in the series, many characters have names that sound like water-related things. Here are some examples:

• Florence Waters - She is a talented fountain designer who has created many fountains. She loves different cultures and is very kind to the children. She often sends them fun presents. She is always very cheerful and optimistic.
• Sam N. - He is a teacher at Dry Creek Middle School. His name sounds like "salmon."
• Walter Russ - He is the principal of Dry Creek Middle School. He really dislikes being called "Wally." His name sounds like "walrus."
• Goldie Fisch - She is the kind secretary at Dry Creek Middle School. Walter often asks her to write letters for him. Her name sounds like "goldfish."
• Lily and Paddy - These two are best friends. They thought the new fountain should be big enough for splashing around. Their names together sound like "lily pad."
• Shelly and Tad - Shelly and Tad are good friends. They suggested having different drinks come out of the fountain. Their names sound like "turtle shell" and "tadpole."
• Minnie O. - She is the smartest student in Sam N.'s class. She suggested putting fish in the fountain. Her name sounds like "minnow."
• Gil - We don't learn a lot about Gil in this book. He suggested the "loop the loop" fountain design, which you can see on the book's cover. In other books, Gil sometimes feels bad about himself and blames himself a lot. His name sounds like "fish gills."

Other characters with water-themed names include: Ima Crabbie (sounds like "I'm crabby" or "I'm a crab"), Pearl O. Ster (sounds like "pearl oyster"), Cora Reef (sounds like "coral reef"), and Barry Cuda (sounds like "barracuda").

The Regarding the Series

The Regarding the series has several books, each focusing on a new adventure for the students of Geyser Creek.

Book 1: Regarding the Fountain (1998)

This is the first book, where the students help design a new fountain and uncover a big secret about their town's water supply.

Book 2: Regarding the Sink (2004)

In this book, the kitchen sink at Geyser Creek Middle School gets a terrible clog, causing a very bad smell. Sam N.'s sixth-grade class travels all the way to Sinkiang, China, to find Florence Waters. They need her help and end up discovering another mischievous secret!

Book 3: Regarding the Trees (2005)

Principal Walter Russ wants to cut down an old willow tree at the school. Minnie O. is determined to stop him. She goes to great lengths to save the tree, and along the way, she learns about Geyser Creek's history and even her own family's past. The people in Geyser Creek start to argue and divide, almost as if the town is split into two different places, especially after a new chef named Angelo arrives.

Book 4: Regarding the Bathrooms (2006)

The school restrooms become very dirty and covered in graffiti. This makes Principal Russ very stressed because he doesn't want the Society of Principals and Administrators to see them. Meanwhile, Goldie and her sister Angel get sick, Sally Mander and Delbert Eel escape from jail, and the students' summer jobs make the situation even more complicated.

Book 5: Regarding the Bees (2007)

This book continues the adventures of the Geyser Creek students.