I So Don't Do Mysteries (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: bald man, rhino enclosure, mini backpack, The Ruler, Wild Animal Park, San Diego (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

About to be shipped off to San Diego while her widower dad goes on his honeymoon, seventh-grader Sherry (short for Sherlock) Holmes Baldwin prepares to put up a fight when she is contacted by her mother's ghost. Killed in the line of duty, her cop mother is flunking out of an afterlife law-enforcement academy, and she needs Sherry's help to crack a case at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. So what if Sherry, a self-proclaimed screwup, is nothing like Nancy Drew? ("Do I look like a strawberry-blond-haired teenage detective?" wisecracking Sherry demands.) Summy keeps the fizz in her effervescent premise for most of this debut novel, using a punchy first-person narration; story lines involving romances, movie stars, rhinos and egotistical chefs; and various eccentricities, including a late grandfather who assumes the form of a wren. Although the plot becomes too convoluted even for screwball comedy, Sherry remains entertaining, and readers will hope for a second caper. Ages 10-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—With the help of her mother and her grandfather, both of whom happen to be deceased, Sherry Holmes Baldwin is out to stop an evil rhino killer. The seventh grader thought her trip to San Diego to stay with her great-aunt, along with her friend Junie and Junie's cousin, would be filled will sunbathing and shopping. That was until her mother's ghost appeared to her and informed Sherry that she needed help with an important Academy of Spirits assignment. If she fails to stop whoever is plotting to kill rhinos at the Wild Animal Park, she will be banished to an afterlife reserved for Academy failures. Unfortunately, the story is dull. There are characters who are completely irrelevant and who seemingly serve no purpose other than to make this book painfully long. Sherry may have solved the mystery in the end, but Nancy Drew she is not.—Robyn Zaneski, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (December 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736029
• ISBN-13: 978-0385736022
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #481,330 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and fabulous for tweens and teens!, January 24, 2009

A Kid's Review

Title: I SO Don't Do Mysteries
Author: Barrie Summy
Pages: 264
Delacorte Press
Date of Publication: December 9, 2008
Genre: Mystery
Recommended to: Tween girls, 10-13
Rating: A

Sherlock ("Sherry") Holmes Baldwin is not the mystery-solving type, despite her name. In fact, she's the polar opposite of Nancy Drew: she'd rather spend her time gorging on Oreos, shopping at the mall, hanging with her nerdy-but-sweet best friend Junie, trying to avoid her new stepmother, and fantasizing about her major crush, Josh Morton. But then Sherry's former cop of a mom suddenly contacts her from the ghost world and requests her assistance: she's flunking out of the Academy of Spirits, and needs Sherry's help to solve a mystery that will secure her a spot in a successful afterlife. Unfortunately, Sherry so doesn't do mysteries, but before she knows it, she's being whisked to San Diego, California, with Junie and her bratty teenage cousin to solve a conflict that includes a poacher, a bunch of innocent rhinos, a chef looking for revenge, and a group of crazy old people! Can Sherry save her mom's afterlife, save the rhinos, and get Josh to like her back? It's going to be one crazy spring break...
First off: I gotta say that I love Sherry: she's positively hilarious. She's realistic and always comes up with the craziest lies and smartest plans. Ms. Summy's dialogue is straight-to-the-point and realistic, with teenager lingo and great details. The plot flowed smoothly and was easy to get into: from the exciting climax on, it was extremely difficult to put the funny, cute book down. I loved all the crazy characters and their actions, which sometimes had me cracking up (Old people plotting serious revenge? Crazy chefs? What isn't there to love?).
Perhaps my most favorite aspect of the story was how unique I SO Don't Do Mysteries was. The plot was totally different from any other YA book I've ever read: Ms. Summy incorporated romance into the storyline without it being trashy; the mystery that needed to be solved was fresh and serious but at the same time funny; and the way the strong, funny characters handled things was absolutely refreshing. I also enjoyed how you could clearly hear Sherry's voice in the narration: it was positively fresh and real. All in all, I give Barrie Summy's upcoming mystery two big thumbs up and can't wait to check out the sequel (coming out in mid-2009, or so I heard), I So Don't Do Spooky. Hopefully it will be as good as the first!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, December 23, 2008

By	Darian Ray "mystery author" (United States) - See all my reviews

I brougth this book for my granddaughter for Christmas, but had to peek at the first page before I wrapped it. Well, I was hooked! I sat down and read the book, laughting all the way. I'm far from a tweener, but I loved this book. The mystery is engaging, the characters are VERY real and...it's funny!

Run, don't walk to your nearest bookstore or here at amazon and buy this book! Now I can't wait until the next Barrie Summy book comes out next year!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I So Love This Book!, December 19, 2008

By	Kristin Tubb "K.O. Tubb" (Franklin, TN) - See all my reviews

Funny, funny, funny - this book has a laugh on every page. Hys-TERICAL! Sherry is a delight - a fresh voice for tweeners. I can't wait to see what Barrie Summy does next!