Description

“A powerful mix of sibling rivalry, revenge, and hard-won redemption. Readers will come for the laughs and stay for the laughs.” —BCCB

Thirteen-year-old Lamar Washington is the maddest, baddest, most spectacular bowler at Striker's Bowling Paradise. But while Lamar's a whiz at rolling strikes, he always strikes out with girls. And Lamar's brother is no help—Xavier earns trophy after trophy on the basketball court and soaks up Dad's attention, leaving no room for Lamar's problems.

Then bad boy Billy Jenks convinces Lamar that hustling at the alley will help him win his dream girl, plus earn him enough money to buy an expensive pro ball and impress celebrity bowler Bubba Sanders.

But when Billy's scheme goes awry, Lamar ends up ruining his brother's shot at college and damaging every relationship in his life. Can Lamar figure out how to mend his broken ties, no matter what the cost?

Crystal Allen's debut novel bowls over critics:

• “Lamar will have readers hooked.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
• “Allen has written an engaging and humorous story and created a compelling character in Lamar, whose wonderfully inventive, laugh-out-loud idiosyncratic voice will leave readers wanting to hear more.”—ALA Booklist
• “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!” —Neal Shusterman, author of The Schwa Was Here and Bruiser

About the Author

Crystal Allen is the author of the middle grade novels How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy, The Laura Line, and the three books in the Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Her many accolades include the Sid Fleischman Humor Award for The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: The Wall of Fame Game and induction into the Texas Institute of Letters. Crystal is also a committee member of The Brown Bookshelf, the codirector of Kindling Words East, and a faculty member of Highlights for Children. She lives in Texas with her husband, Reggie, and two sons, Phillip and Joshua. Visit her online at crystalallenbooks.com.

Praise For…

Under all the braggadocio is a boy with a big heart, and from the first sentence Lamar will have readers hooked. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This stands out for its unusual setting and smooth integration of friendship and family concerns. ” — Kirkus Reviews

“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.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“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!” — Neal Shusterman, author of THE SCHWA WAS HERE and BRUISER

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: MYA IN THE MIDDLE: “Allen lassoes another terrific tale for the Magnificent Mya Tibbs series.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: THE WALL OF FAME GAME: “Hilarious...with a charming cast of characters that readers will be eager to follow.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Nuanced depictions of friendship coupled with larger-than-life and fully three-dimensional characters make this delightful book at once thoughtful and a riot to read.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “[A] winning series debut.” — Booklist

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Endearing” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “A big-hearted, high-spirited, cowboy-booted heroine…The story’s vivid small-town setting and memorable characters will have many readers looking forward to more Mya.” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Spunky, sweet hearted, and full of fun, Mya will have readers everywhere yelling ‘Yee-haw’!” — Varian Johnson, author of The Great Greene Heist

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Looking for a book that sparkles with laughter and heart? Yippee kai-yay-here it is! Mya’s search for a true, not-fake friend will tickle your giggle bone and lasso your ticker. Everyone but everyone should have a friend like the magnetic and magnificent Mya Tibbs.” — Tricia Springstubb, author of Moonpenny Island and Cody and the Fountain of Happiness

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “In Spirit Week Showdown, earnest Mya, with her Texas charm and mounting friendship problems, kept me turning the pages all the way to the boo-yang cool finale. Trust me: you’ll want all your friends to read this one!” — Tracey Baptiste, author of The Jumbies, a School Library Journal selection

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “The protagonist’s emotional transformation will resonate with readers. Generational bonds, notably the growth of the relationship between Laura and her grandmother, are beautifully depicted. With its humor and deep reverence for history, Allen’s novel is an engaging treatment of the oft-told tale of looking within for beauty and strength.” — School Library Journal

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “This is a lively approach to an issue that’s come up recently in the news...and the historical aspect could help readers consider their own family lore that may not have made its way into written accounts.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “Laura Dyson’s sweet, sassy voice draws you into this delightful story of self-discovery and acceptance, unwavering friendship and the deep roots of one amazing family.” — Donna Gephart, author of Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “Crystal Allen shows us how our relatives, even the ones we’ve never met, sometimes have a way of gently weaving a path to exactly who we’re meant to be, our truest and best self.” — Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early