Book ~ "We're Done" (2013) Judy Irwin

From Goodreads ~ What if it turns out that YOU'RE the bully - and you didn't know it? 

Things aren't going very well for 13-year-old Luke Mitchell. He's been kicked out of his posh private school, Heyworth Academy; his best friend Jon has just dumped him; and the tough guys at his new school have just picked him as their new target. 

So what's a guy who used to be on the top of the heap supposed to do? The upside-down world that Luke finds himself in at Carlyle gives him a whole new way of looking at things. Can he recover from losing his school and his best friend, and find new friends and a way to fit in at Carlyle?

Luke is 13 years old and goes to a private school. He likes to "joke" with the other students ... but they don't find it so funny.  An incident during School Spirit Day is strike three against him according to the school's anti-bullying rules and Luke is kicked out of the school, though he doesn't realize his behaviour was considered bullying.  His mother retreats within herself and is no support.  His older sister, Monica, and a friend of her are bullying a fellow student via Facebook.   He expected his dad, who is out of town often on business, to be able to talk him back into the school and when this doesn't happen, he has to go to what he considers an inferior public school.  In addition, his best friend, Jon, who we met in What Did You Say?, had had enough of his "humour" and doesn't want to be his friend anymore.  All in all, Luke is not likeable.

As he tries to fit in at the new school, he is picked on and made fun of by some of the kids.  Tash, who he met in What Did You Say?, is a fellow student and doesn't give him the warm welcoming he expected because she took offense to something he said over the summer.  He's not used to not having his way and learns some humbling lessons in how to get along with his fellow students and how he had treated others in the past.

This is the third book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well.  The subject matter is bullying which is a huge focus right now and this book could be an eye-opener to kids who don't realize they are being bullies.  Though it is a YA book, I didn't find the writing or storyline too immature for me.  It's a quick read and I'd recommend it for everyone (there's no bad language or mature situations).

Book ~ "What Did You Say?" (2012) Judy Irwin

From Goodreads ~ What if absolutely NOTHING is turning out the way you want it to? 

It's the summer after seventh grade, and for 12-year-old Tash everything has changed, from parents to friends to summer vacation. Her parents have just gotten divorced and Tash and her mom are spending July at a borrowed trailer at the Tall Pines Trailer Park up north. 

As she tries to figure out how her new family set-up will work and deals with missing her father and brother, Tash pushes the boundaries of behavior. 

Is she acting out because she's mad at her dad or wants to prove something to her new friends? Even Tash isn't sure. Can she learn how to accept people and things for what they are, instead of longing for what she wants them to be?

Tash is turning 13 this summer and her parents have recently divorced ... she is living with her mom and her brother, Brian, and her father have moved away.  To chill for the summer, Tash and her mother spend the month of July vacationing at a trailer park by a lake.  There she meets and befriends Polly, Jon and Luke, who are her age.

Tash blames her dad for breaking up the family and for her not being able to see Brian so avoids his phone calls.  She acts up a bit and her mother is there to ensure she owns up to it.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well.  Though it is a YA book, I didn't find the writing or storyline too immature for me.  It's a quick read and I'd recommend it for everyone (there's no bad language or mature situations).

Book ~ "What's It To You?" (2013) Judy Irwin

From Goodreads ~ What if nothing was the worst thing you could do?

For 13-year old Tim Stockdale, it's all about keeping his head down and fitting in with the friends he's managed to make at his new school. His older brother, Eli, is the opposite. He's trying to set up a Gay-Straight Alliance at his high school, where he's a junior. Even though the school board is against it, Eli’s not afraid of what the fallout might be.

So when Tim's new friends start to bully a kid they think is gay, Tim's torn - he doesn't want to do anything to risk being cast out of the crew. But when Eli is hurt in a protest, Tim's own failure to do anything starts to get under his skin. Will he find his way at his new middle school, and figure out what's really worth standing up for?

Tim and his family have recently moved.  His brother, Eli, is in high school and continues to go to the same school.  Tim, though, is starting grade eight and starts at a new school.  Tim finds it hard to fit in so hangs out with the first group of guys that befriend him.  They are bullies and pick on Jodie, a guy they think is gay.  Tim doesn't participant in the bullying but he doesn't do anything to stop it.

Eli is gay and wants to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at his school.  During one of the protests, he is hurt.  This book is about Tim's struggle to stay true to his brother and his desire to fit in at his new school.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well.  Though it is a YA book, I didn't find the writing too immature for me.  Because of the subject matter (homosexuality and bullies), I would recommend it for a more mature YA.

I liked the relationship that Eli and Tim had ... despite the difference in their ages, they were close as brothers and got along well.  Their parents were supportive of Eli's sexual orientation ... they were scared that because he was leading the charge for gay rights at the school that he might get hurt (which he did).