Regarding+the+Fountain

Are you interested in joining us for another group book?

__Regarding the Fountain__ by Kate Klise will start up in January.

Here is a tentative schedule: week of Jan. 10 pages 1-36 week of Jan. 17 pages 37-69 week of Jan. 24 pages 70-103 week of Jan. 31 pages 104-138 (end)

This is another fun book that is the first in a series. In the past it has wet the appetite enough that I had to purchase the rest of the books. Here is a review copied from Amazon to give a taste of the book.

Amazon.com Review
How could a simple request for a new water fountain go so very, very off-track? When Principal Wally Russ writes to fountain designer Florence Waters to ask her to replace Dry Creek Middle School's busted drinking fountain, he little suspects that he is sparking the imagination of an //artiste//. Kate Klise's charming mystery novel is told entirely in letters and faxes, as the glamorous Florence visits Dry Creek and becomes friends with Mr. Sam N.'s fifth-grade class. The class helps Florence design the most outrageous water fountain ever, and along the way uncovers the dirty (and rather wet) secret that dwells underneath Dry Creek Middle School. Writes Florence to her new fifth-grade friends, "Your drawings are hanging in my studio. Pure inspiration. Of course a drinking fountain should have tropical fish and chocolate shakes!" Line drawings by M. Sarah Klise adorn every page, with "snapshots" of the fifth-grade class, pages from the local paper, and coffee-stained While You Were Out notices thickening the stew. The emphasis on visual elements should make the book a hit with kids who claim they don't like to read. Author Klise knows her audience: bad puns flow as freely as water and the plot is just convoluted enough to challenge kids without frustrating them. The Klise sisters have created a classic of comic children's literature. (Ages 8 and older) //--Claire Dederer//

Check out an interview with the author done by Scholastic. She answers various questions about the Regarding series. You can click on individual questions/answers or scroll to the bottom of the list for the whole interview.

This is the link to the website of the author and illustrator.

You can also click the image below to see the "look inside the book" on Amazon.



Does your class use Edmodo? If so, join the group with this access code: **fvv5xq.** Edmodo was great as a discussion board during the last book, with teachers and students from all over posting questions and answers! Great how to article [|Edmodo how to]

//Also, if you are new to the project and want to see how we used the site with the last book, join the group for Maze of Bones and check out our awesome work. The access code is:// //sduw9a//

Here are a few possible activities during the book. //I'm sure some more creative folks can come up with even better stuff but it's a start.//

Throughout the book:
 * track Florence's travels (with other facts from the places)
 * collect funny names (e.g. Sam N.) and other play on words
 * character traits of main characters
 * timeline of events
 * word of the day (as done on the bulletin board in the kids' class)
 * what creative ideas could you come up with for Florence's gifts
 * writing activities (demonstrating writing for various purposes - memo, friendly letter, business letter, phone messages)

Week 1:
 * how to directions
 * fountain designs
 * town/school/class newsletter
 * themed bulletin boards

Week 2:
 * town history
 * interviews
 * visual history
 * predictions as related to plot (clues planted throughout the book)

Week 3:
 * Are there rules about gifts or donations at your school?
 * What are the spending procedures in your school?
 * share some interesting animal facts
 * writing - think or a time you did something you shouldn't have

Week 4:
 * area festivals
 * what are some special talents your students could showcase?
 * some surveys - musical interests, favorite meals, chores/class jobs
 * predictions vs. actual events
 * back through the book looking for planted clues