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

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The powerful mix of sibling rivalry, revenge, and hard-won redemption strengthens the perennial appeal of the naïve-underdog-makes-good plot; readers will come for the laughs and stay for the laughs."

Neal Shusterman

"Crystal Allen has the rare ability to make you laugh out loud one minute and swell with tears the next. The tween book world has a new hero—Lamar Washington —as well as a brilliant new author who’s bound to win a Bubba-sized trophy herself!"

Publishers Weekly

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. (Mar.)

The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

“The powerful mix of sibling rivalry, revenge, and hard-won redemption strengthens the perennial appeal of the naïve-underdog-makes-good plot; readers will come for the laughs and stay for the laughs.”

Children's Literature - Michele C. Hughes

From the opening line, "Since Saturday, I've fried Sergio like catfish, mashed him like potatoes, and creamed his corn in ten straight games of bowling..." Lamar's self-aggrandizing narration is fresh, funny and intriguing, and the distinctly African American cadences of his speech make his character seem authentic. This asthmatic bowler takes swagger to the nth degree with such charisma as he recounts the challenges he encounters in dealing with his basketball superstar brother, his reluctant girlfriend, and his shady bowling partner. It is summer, and fourteen-year-old Lamar aims to bowl the days away and strut his stuff. Enter Makeda, a formerly unattractive school acquaintance who has, seemingly overnight, grown into a fine-looking girl. Lamar charms her into a relationship and learns to navigate the waters of romance. Meanwhile, a troubled boy persuades Lamar to hustle bowling to earn them both big money, much to the disapproval of Lamar's best pal, Sergio. As Lamar teeters at the precipice of success—he's got the girl and he's got the cash—a regrettable prank sends him crashing down. The resolution is difficult for Lamar to bear, but it rings with truth and justice. Themes of sibling rivalry, the loss of a mother, knowing one's limitations, peer pressure and greed are woven throughout the story, resulting in a more mature character than the trash-talking big shot from the beginning. Humorous supporting characters, such as the old women who mother Lamar from their porches as he walks by, are written with heart and add a believable texture to Lamar's story. Reviewer: Michele C. Hughes

VOYA - Angie Hammond

Everything is finally looking up for Lamar—he has got some money in his pocket and a fine new girlfriend, and his game has never been better. But then things start to unravel. Hustling at the bowling alley with his new friend, Billy, is just plain wrong, and it is starting to eat at him. But Billy does know about life, and when Lamar's brother beats him senseless for no reason, Billy has the perfect plan for revenge. Hit him where it hurts: pull the fire alarm at X's biggest basketball game of the season. Finding out that Billy was just using him as a cover to steal computers does not hold a candle to the pain of dealing with the fallout for getting caught—the loss of respect from practically everyone in town, including himself. As Lamar works to make restitution to his family, his friends, the gym, and the community, he learns some strong lessons about what it means to be a man. The story line is engaging and believable, and although the overuse of slang is annoying to this adult reviewer, every teen that previewed the first page agreed that it is fun and attention getting. Recommend it to young teens who enjoy light reading, as well as reluctant readers. Reviewer: Angie Hammond

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—Among the many complications in 13-year-old Lamar Washington's life are his reputation as a prankster, which is inhibiting his quest to get a girlfriend; a basketball star older brother, Xavier, who treats him with contempt; his suspicion that his best friend is being taken advantage of by his girlfriend; and the asthma that makes bowling the most strenuous sport in which he is allowed to engage. While the death of his mother is an ongoing heartache, Lamar receives support from his strict but loving father and his close-knit African-American community. He has truly come to love bowling, and the action revolves (loosely) around his desire to be the recipient of a special ball to be given away by his idol, professional bowler Bubba Sanders. Along the way, Lamar gains, loses, and regains the girl; succumbs to the temptations of easy money by using his bowling skills to hustle some marks at the behest of lowlife Billy Jenks; is physically assaulted by Xavier; pulls an alarm to disrupt his brother's basketball game; and is finally reconciled with X after secretly paying for his algebra tutoring. There is much too much going on, and everything is resolved way too easily, but readers are likely to be pulled along by Lamar's engaging (and frequently hilarious) narration.—Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT