Sherry's stepmother "The Ruler" has been having some super weird things happening to her. Sherry and her friend Junie, who now shows interest in makeup, want to help find out what is going on. They also get some help from Sherry's ghost mom, who can only be summoned by the smell of coffee beans, and who is enrolled in the Academy of Spirits. But some things will get in the way. Like her and her boyfriend, Josh, and their two month anniversary. Also her mom will be training for the Ghostlympics so she can earn 5 minutes of Real Time, where she gets to see her mom in person, with her mother. Donner's robotics team is also out to get them, and their leader Claire might be hiding somethings that might help Sherry find out what ghost is messing with her step mom. In the end it will be all up to Sherry to get this Spooky behavior to finally go away.


I loved this book because of how creative the whole idea was, I honestly love to read mysteries because the are very intriguing. The characters seem very original and help the book go along very well! My favorite part is when Sherry has the encounter with the honey-sweaty sock smelling ghost in the desert. I also love how Sherry gives many of the people at her school nicknames like Nerdy Nick, The Ruler, Honor Role Girl, and Tongue-Stud Girl. To me this book seems very original and is honestly one of the best ones I ever read, and that is why I think it deserves five stars! I would recommend this book to any girl, in middle school mostly, that loves to read mysteries. I hope to finish all of Barrie Summy's books soon! ( )

Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

You know how sticky it can sometimes get when you're juggling both a mother and a stepmother? Imagine if your mother was a ghost and your stepmother was a teacher at your school!

Sherry Baldwin's mother floats in on a wave of coffee to let Sherry know that she needs to meet her at Dairy Queen, ghost headquarters. There, Sherry learns that her stepmother, aka The Ruler, has a stalker. With her dad out of town, and her mother competing in the Ghostlympics, it's up to Sherry to solve the mystery.

But, she so doesn't do spooky.

Sherry enlists Junie's help as they embark upon a journey of the paranormal. A ghost hunter's equipment picks up signs of her mother while a teen psychic confirms Sherry's fears about her stepmother. When The Ruler's tires are slashed, Sherry follows the scents of sweat socks and honey, and wonders what she'll do when she finds the stalker.

To make matters worse, her uber-fantastic boyfriend, Josh, has a glittery tutor who seems eager to take Sherry's place. Her best friend, Junie, is too distracted to answer her texts, someone is trying to kill her fish, and her school's rival robotics team has discovered she's a spy.

Barrie Summy's I SO DON'T DO SPOOKY is a wonderful romp between teen and paranormal worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Summy's first novel, I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES, and was eager to read I SO DON'T DO SPOOKY. I was not disappointed. It was just plain fun.

And if an unusual scent seems to settle around you as you read, don't be concerned. It's probably just a ghost that can't resist reading over your shoulder. ( )