I So Don't Do Spooky [Hardcover]

Barrie Summy (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 8, 2009 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: I So Don't Do... | Lexile Measure: 610L (What's this?)

Someone’s out to get Sherry’s stepmom. . . .Can she save her before it’s too late?

Did you know that the main campus of the Academy of Spirits is at a Dairy Queen in Phoenix? Me either. Until now. Some weird stuff has been happening to my stepmother, Paula, and the Academy has asked me, Sherry Holmes Baldwin, to get to the bottom of it. They think someone’s trying to hurt her.

I really don’t want to get involved—my life is way too busy. Josh and I are celebrating two blissful months of togetherness. And my best friend, Junie, is finally showing a teeny bit of interest in clothes and makeup after years of brainiac behavior. But being that my mom is a ghost and all, me, my brother, and my dad rely on Paula a lot. So it’s not like I can just ignore what’s going on. Especially since my mom is competing at the Ghostlympics. If she comes in first place, she earns five minutes of Real Time.

And that means I’ve got to get involved in a creepy, freaky mystery.

But . . . I so don’t do spooky.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–8—Sherry Holmes Baldwin, the 13-year-old heroine of Summy's I So Don't Do Mysteries (Delacorte, 2008) is back for a second reluctant round of detection. When her mother—a ghostly coed at the Academy of Spirits—asks Sherry to help her find out who is stalking Sherry's stepmother, a task set upon her by her Academy guidance counselor, the teen agrees, even though her relationship with "The Ruler," who teaches at her middle school, is often strained. Guided by her spectral mother as well as her ghostly grandfather, Sherry goes undercover at a neighboring junior high school's robotics club meeting, certain that one of their members is behind the torment. After several meetings with Mom and Grandpa and the intervention of a teen psychic and a ghost-hunter, Sherry finally solves the mystery, though by the last pages of the novel the identity of her stepmother's stalker almost seems like a moot point. Not tightly written or clever enough to be considered screwball, and with not as much attitude as Meg Cabot's "Mediator" series (HarperCollins), this story doesn't satisfy as a mystery or as a supernatural thriller.—Amy S. Pattee, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Sherry Holmes Baldwin, a Phoenix, Arizona, teen, has a stepmom, Paula; a dad who travels frequently; a little brother, Sam; a best friend, Junie; and a gorgeous boyfriend, Josh. She also has a mother who is a ghost and a big mystery to solve. The Academy of Spirits, located in a Dairy Queen, has determined that Paula may be in danger. If Sherry can find out who, or what, has targeted her stepmom, and if her birth mom can win the Ghostlympics, the Academy of Spirits will grant mother and daughter five minutes of Real Time together, just like before Mom died! It’s a tough, spooky task to determine who would want to harm Paula, and, as the title states, Sherry so doesn’t do spooky. Summy has written a funny, surprising, and charming ghost story that incorporates authentic, likable young teens; strangely believable ghosts (including Sherry’s grandfather, who has taken the form of a perky wren); and well-integrated paranormal elements. Balancing slapstick and poignant twists, this should find a wide readership among young teens. Grades 6-9. --Frances Bradburn

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (December 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736045
• ISBN-13: 978-0385736046
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,621,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

From the book flap:

"Barrie lives in California with her husband and their four children. She's currently hard at work on her next book. Please visit her at www.barriesummy.com"

There are obviously lots and lots of gaps in this bio. Which is probably the way it should be. I mean, come on, you don't want to scroll through pages of boring facts about me. Oh, what was that? You'd like to hear a few odd ones? Did someone tell you I was odd? Perhaps one of my children?! You realize they have a very skewed perspective.

How's about this:

I cannot have licorice in the house. Or white cheddar cheez-it crackers. I will eat these items until I am sick.

I do not like going to the post office. So, if you're waiting for something from me, well, you're in good company.

One of my most successful New Year's resolutions: Drive through the car wash twice a month.

And....I loved, loved, loved university. To the point that I wouldn't stop going until my parents pulled the plug. I have a degree in French, a degree in Canadian Literature, and a degree in Speech Pathology. The latter has resulted in very chatty children.

Email me ([e-mail]) if you need more detail. :)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: [...] May 13, 2010

By Darcy Wishard

Format:Hardcover

As a librarian I will sometimes ask students to review books, the following is an eighth grade student review!

In book 2, i so don't do spooky, Sherry is investigating a mysterious chain of events surrounding her step-mom and the schools robotics team...someone is sabotaging them, and who it is will totally surprise them!

This series is a hilarious mystery that keeps you guessing. Sherry (Sherlock Holmes Baldwin) manages to juggle boys, friends, makeup, fashion, a brand new step-mom and on top of all that, her coffee obsessed ghost-of-a-mom who is failing out of the academy for spirits. With help from her one time grandpa (now a cactus) Sherry and her mother solve mysteries that include rhinos, makeup and even a robotics competition. I look forward to the fourth installment in this riveting series!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Tween Mystery - I loved It February 26, 2010

By DAC VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This is the second book, in the I So Don't series. I really enjoyed I So Don't Do Mysteries. my review. After reading I So Don't Do Spooky, my like of this series is quickly turning into love.

13 yr old Sherry Holmes Baldwin mother is ghost. Sherry's mom was a cop killed in the line duty. Now she's a member of the Academy of Spirits, an organization that teaches ghost to protect the living. Sherry helps her mother solve cases. She can't see her mother but can speak to her. Sherry grandfather who has been reincarnated as a wren is also a member the team.
For their second case, they must find out who is stalking Sherry's stepmother Polly aka the Ruler and her math teacher.

There are several suspects to keep the reader guessing. Sherry even has to go undercover. When there's evidence that the stalker was too close to the house, Sherry must keep an eye on the Ruler at all times. Sherry's mom is also competing in the ghostlympics. If she wins her event the prize is 5 minutes of real time. Sherry could she her mom again.

The author has created a wonderful protagonist in Sherry Holmes Baldwin. She's like everyone else she just happens to communicate with her ghost mom. Other then that Sherry deals with the same things as other girls. Her life doesn't stop because of a case. Sherry still has homework to do, tests to study for, an anniversary to celebrate, a girl who wants her boyfriend and a best friend to hang out with and outfits to accessorize.

I love Sherry's voice. Sherry and her best friend Junie go to the Ruler's old school for clues.

"Skateboard parks are always a hotbed of gossip. Seriously. If you're like in France or somewhere foreign and you need the scoop on a middle, go immediately to the nearest skate park. We walk over and peer through the chain link fence. Two guys are in there, totally decked out in padding and helmets. One has a white helmet with black skulls and crimson eyes. Very fake-o tough. The other guy's helmet is solid blue. Very Wal-mart. They're really into their boards. These are fanatical skateboarders who probably have lousy grades and a reputation for ditching class a bunch and wearing only name brand skate clothes. We have them at my school too. I've heard they don't make reliable boyfriends."

I So Don't Do Spooky is so much fun. When I read a series, I love when an author gives more, when the next book is better than the last. Summy does just that with I So Don't Do Spooky. Fans of I So Don't Do Myteries will love it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing is ever as it seems February 26, 2010

By Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews

Format:Hardcover

The book I So Don't Do Spooky by Barrie Summy is about a
girl named Sherry who has a ghost for a mom. Sherry's mom
died a couple of years ago and came back as a ghost, and
Sherry's stepmom is a teacher at Sherry's school. When
Sherry went to a meeting with her real mom and the head
ghost, the head ghost told her that her stepmom has a
stalker. In order for her to be able to keep in contact
with her mom and feel safe again, Sherry must find and
turn in the stalker . On the same day she got roses from
somebody . . . who wasn't her boyfriend (and she needs to
find out who the flowers are from). Can Sherry do it all
and stay alive to tell the tale? Read this enchanting
mystery to find out!

This book was very interesting, and
it gave me lots of details. I like books that I can
picture in my head and feel like I'm in it, and this book
let me do that. As a character, Sherry was very realistic
(except for the fact she can speak to her ghost mom) and
she was almost always worried about something. Compared
with other mysteries I have read before, like Sherlock
Holmes or Nancy Drew, this one wasn't as intriguing as the
others. I learned from this book nothing is ever as it
seems, and I believe this statement with all of my heart.
Overall, I recommend this book to teens and young adults
for entertainment reading, for it will fill you with
laughter and sadness, like any good book should.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers