We’re Done

by Judy Irwin

Middle Grade Fiction

Book Description

What if it turns out that YOU’RE the bully – and you didn’t know it?

Up until now, life has been good for 13-year-old Luke. He’s good at sports, attractive, and he’s a big wheel at Heyworth Academy, his private school. He likes to tease, and poke fun at the other kids, but that’s just because he likes having fun. But things start to fall apart, six weeks into eighth grade, when Luke commits an act of ‘goofing around’ that ends up costing him his best friend and his beloved private school.

After he’s expelled, Luke transfers to his local school, Carlyle. Now, he’s on the outside looking in. His looks, and background (not to mention his Heyworth hoodie), make him stand out, and the tough guys zero in on him right away.

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?

MY THOUGHTS: 4 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

We’re Done by Judy Irwin

Luke is a 13 year old who attends a prestigious private school. He’s a great athlete, loved by the girls, and hangs out with his best friend Jon. The problem is, he’s kind of a jerk. He says mean things to other kids all the time, but one day he goes too far and gets kicked out of school.

Luke then transfers to a public school, and he quickly learns that while he may think the things he says are funny, other people rarely do. He must learn to think before he speaks, and think about how his words hurt others.

Right from the very beginning of this book I didn’t like Luke very much. He was very cocky and rude. I knew he would have a lot to learn if he wanted to change himself. He was outraged at the fact that he had to change schools, but that’s exactly what he needed. By making him a fish out of water, he was forced to confront others and really take a look at what he was doing.

The only problem I had was that I felt that Luke’s family could have done better by him. I believe the author was trying to make it so that Luke’s problems were a result of him acting out because of the absence of parental guidance in his life. But after him getting kicked out of school, he isn’t even punished!! Ultimately Luke worked out his problems on his own, so I guess that worked out OK.

I think this makes a great read for middle graders who need to take a look at how they treat others.

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An Excerpt from We’re Done

About the Author

Judy Irwin writes books about kids dealing with everyday stuff, like parents and divorce, friendships and bullies, and figuring out how to handle different situations and circumstances. So far, she’s written two books: We’re Done, and What Did You Say? We’re Done is about 13-year-old Luke and how he figures out what went wrong when he’s kicked out of school for a bullying incident. In What Did You Say?, 12-year-old Tash tries to figure out what life will be like following her parents’ divorce. In this book, which takes place at a trailer park up north, Tash first meets Luke, Jon and Polly.

Judy lives in Toronto, Canada, with a dog, a cat, and two hamsters, plus her husband and two children, ages 10 and 13. She studied English Literature at the University of Toronto. She always wanted to be a writer. She wrote her first book in fourth grade – it was about a boy called Japan, who lived in Japan. In addition to writing books, Judy is a freelance business writer.

www.judyirwin.com

www.amazon.com/author/judyirwin

Judy will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.