In The Middle Monday Book Look Reviews of i so don't do mysteries and i so don't do spooky by Barrie Summy

 

Welcome to In the Middle Monday where I review middle level books geared towards grades fifth through eighth. 

Once again I will be using my Book Look review format, which are mini review using either 75 words or less or only six sentences. My Book Looks were inspired by Kate at the Neverending Shelf and Staci at Life in a Thumb respectively.

i so don't do mysteries by Barrie Summy

(review in 75 words or less)

Sherry (short for Sherlock) Holmes Baldwin is spending spring break in California with her best friend, Junie. She can’t wait to hang out in the sun, hit the mall, and spend time with cutie-pie Josh.
Then . . . a freaky change of plans. Sherry’s mom, a cop killed in the line of duty, contacts her. Not only is she a ghost, she’s a ghost in danger of flunking out of the Academy of Spirits, and she needs Sherry’s help. Unless she solves an important mystery in San Diego, shell be banished to an afterlife for ghost failures!
If Sherry wants to be a normal seventh grader (as in, one who doesn’t communicate with ghosts), she cant tell anybody about her mom or what she has to do. Not her brother, not Junie, and especially not Josh. Its up to Sherry alone to save the day. Except . . . she so doesn’t do mysteries.

This übercute mystery is just right for middle school girls. I loved Sherry’s quirkiness and middle school slang. I was also surprised at how fast the plot flowed. The original mystery had a couple of delightful red herrings thrown in to keep me on my toes. The premise of a girl helping her ghost mom from flunking The Academy of Spirits was very unique, and Summy did a bang-up job with all her characters.

Recommendation: I definitely think this is a fun read that will appeal to grades 5-8 grade girls. It offers fun characters, and focuses on the various social aspects of middle school kids. 

i so don't do spooky by Barrie Summy

(six sentence review)

In Barrie Summy’s second book of her middle school series, Sherry once again teams up with her ghost mom, and her grandpa (a wren) to find out who is staking her step-mother. As in her first book Summy brings back Sherry’s best-friend and partner-in-crime, Junie; boyfriend, Josh, and snarky Amber, Junie’s cousin who drives. Each one of these characters help to ensure a fast-paced read with loads of laughs and some suspenseful moments. Sherry’s wit and people skills make for an enjoyable read. While the mystery is not too complex, there are a few cute twists and I think even reluctant readers will find this a interesting story. I will definitely be reading Summy's next book i so don’t do makeup, which was released this May and another one, which will be release sometime next year.

Source: received copies from publisher.