How Lamar's bad prank won a Bubba-sized trophy

Allen, C. (2011). How Lamar's bad prank won a Bubba-sized trophy. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray.

Interest Level: Grades 4-7

Reading Level: 3+

Thirteen year old Lamar Washington lives in a small town in Indiana with his dad and his brother Xavier. Xavier is the star of his high school basketball team and can do no wrong in their father's eyes. Lamar considers himself an athlete too, excelling at bowling- a game he was taught by his mother who passed away from cancer. He is the proclaimed "King of Striker's," the local bowling alley he plays at, but his dad doesn't have time for Lamar and his bowling- he's too busy following "Xavier the Savior's" success on the court. In an attempt to earn some money to buy himself a new bowling ball and in the hopes of being able to take Makena- the girl of his dreams- on a date Lamar gets involved in a hustling scheme with bad boy Billy Jenks. When Billy devises a plan to help Lamar get back at Xavier for the way Xavier treats him Lamar finds that Billy was using him and also finds himself in trouble with the law. He now has to figure out how to make things right- with his family, his best friend, his community and Makena.

This is a unique first novel. I'm fairly certain there are no other tween novels where the main character is an African American who bowls. There is a large use of slang and smack talk which sometimes seemed forced or unrealistic, but the characters in this book are for the most part likeable and believable. Boys will empathize with Lamar's struggle to get Makena to like him and his uneasy relationships with his father and dad. It's apparent to the reader that Billy is trouble long before it's apparent to Lamar, but that only helps build the suspense leading to the act that landed Billy in jail and Lamar making amends to all. All in all this is a satisfying read that will be enjoyed by many.