Regarding The Trees: A Splintered Saga Rooted In Secrets - Hardcover

Kate Klise; M. Sarah Klise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152051635 ISBN 13: 9780152051631

Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books, 2005

Synopsis

Principal Walter Russ just wanted a simple proposal to trim the overgrown trees outside Geyser Creek Middle School. So how did he end up with a wedding (rather than a weeding) proposal from designer Florence Waters? And that's not all . . . Angelo, the new cafeteria chef from Italy, has taken up residence in Mr. N.'s classroom. A sixth-grader has moved into the weeping willow tree behind school. And all the girls in Geyser Creek are boycotting the boys. As Chef Angelo would say: Aye-yi-yi.

Sisters Kate and Sarah Klise have created an uproarious third book in their award-winning Regarding the . . . series. Told in newspaper articles, letters, and secret notes, Regarding the Trees has all the elements of everyone's favorite Klise books--including lots of surprises.

Includes tips on planting a tree and creating a family tree.

About this title

About the Author

KATE KLISE is the author of a number of popular middle grade novels, includingRegarding the Sink and Regarding the Fountain, an IRA Young Adults' Choice, as well asTrial by Journal and Letters from Camp. She is also a correspondent forPeople magazine and a frequent tree planter. Kate Klise lives in Norwood, Missouri.

M. SARAH KLISE is the illustrator of four popular (and riotous) middle grade novels written by her sister Kate:Regarding the Sink, Regarding the Fountain, Letters from Camp, and Trial by Journal. She is also an art teacher and gardener. Sarah Klise lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

Grade 4-6–Readers with patience, and perhaps a penchant for detail, may appreciate this latest offering from the author and illustrator of Regarding the Fountain (Avon, 1998) and Regarding the Sink (Harcourt, 2004). While the principal is simply looking for someone to trim some trees at Geyser Creek Middle School, a misunderstanding and clever rhetorical spin-offs take readers on a winding journey that includes every leafy pun imaginable. Add an Italian chef and a marriage proposal, and you have a one-of-a-kind plot waiting for that unique reader willing to take the time to unravel this clever book. Each page is painstakingly laid out in scrapbook form as the story unfolds with letters, newspaper columns, even packing envelopes. Some children may find the variety of wacky fonts and page styles difficult to navigate, and the quaint cover depicting a large party taking place under a tree does nothing to add to the book's appeal.–Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4-6. Told through letters, newspaper articles, illustrations, and class projects, and filled with humor and whimsical characters, Klise's follow-up to Regarding the^BFountain (1998) and^B Regarding the Sink (2004) is both fun and informative.^B Geyser Creek Middle School's principal wants to trim or cut down the school's trees, but some students want to save them, especially after learning about their benefits and their importance to area history. In the meantime, romance blooms in unexpected places and a rivalry develops between local restaurateurs, dividing loyalties and inspiring contention between men and women, girls and boys. Fortunately, unexpected events and revelations heal rifts and save both friendships and the trees. Witty wordplay abounds--from characters' names (Justin Case) to tree puns ("Leaf the trees alone")--and Klise incorporates interesting facts about trees and researching genealogy and history. Kids will enjoy the peppy, multiformat read and like the diverse characters. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152051635
• ISBN 13: 9780152051631
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160