How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy

Starred review from January 10, 2011
Cocky, sharp-tongued, and a known prankster, 13-year-old Lamar Washington is a protagonist readers won't soon forget. Lamar lives for bowling, the sport his mother helped him discover before she died of cancer. Hoping to earn some money—both to court "superfine" Makeda Phillips and to buy a "Pro Thunder" ball before his bowling idol, Bubba Sanders, comes to town—Lamar starts hustling games with a local bad boy. Lamar's father lavishes much of his attention on Lamar's older brother, "Xavier the Basketball Savior," and after Xavier, who has stopped taking his anger medication, beats up Lamar, Lamar retaliates by pulling the fire alarm at Xavier's big game. The fallout from this prank is extensive, and Lamar digs deep into himself to make reparations to those he's hurt. Debut author Allen gives Lamar a singular (and often comically misguided) way with words ("Girl, you look like a big piece of Bubblicious," he tells Makeda, who is less than impressed by the compliment). Under all the braggadocio is a boy with a big heart, and from the first sentence Lamar will have readers hooked. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from October 1, 2011
Gr 5–8—-Lamar, 13, wants nothing more than an idyllic summer hanging out at Striker's Bowling Paradise, girl watching, and eating. The trouble is, his reputation as a prankster has left him without a girlfriend, and problems at home have made him feel empty and confused. His brother's basketball skills have earned him the nickname "Xavier the Basketball Savior." Lamar feels that since his mother's death, his father has pinned all of his hopes and dreams on Xavier. Things intensify when Lamar sees a poster advertising a contest sponsored by pro bowler Bubba Sanders to win a "Pro Thunder" bowling ball. Billy Jenks, the school troublemaker, convinces Lamar that by hustling bowling games he can earn the money to buy his own ball and impress Bubba. Listeners will be eager to find out if Lamar's conscience kicks in before he gets into big trouble. Crystal Allen's debut novel (Balzer + Bray, 2011) is a fresh and clever story involving the themes of peer pressure and family problems. Allen has an uncanny ability to see into the hearts of teenage boys, while narrator Muhammed Cunningham speaks from their souls. He has impressive range as he handles Lamar's trash-talking, Midwestern corny humor and teen angst with equal aplomb. Fans of Jeff Kinney's "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series will love this brilliant and sometimes humorous snapshot of life in many inner city communities and the pressures facing teens living there.—"Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH "

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