“Since Saturday, I’ve fried Sergio like catfish, mashed him like potatoes, and creamed his corn in ten straight games of bowling. And it’s just the middle of the week. People call Wednesday 'hump day,' but for Sergio it’s 'kicked-in-the-rump day.' I’m his daddy now, the maddest, baddest, most spectacular bowler ever.”
Lamar Washington talks big and backs it up with even bigger bowling skills. You would never think that he started playing just because he has terrible asthma, and all other sports make him wheeze. Unfortunately, Lamar’s got a basketball star brother named Xavier who doesn’t treat him very well which all leads us to find out How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy.
When it comes to blasting away pins, Lamar is the best in Coffin, Indiana. So when Lamar hears that nationwide champion Bubba Sanders is coming to town, he and his friend Sergio are psyched. Bubba’s got a killer 'fro and as Lamar put it, is “shut-yo’-mouth-and-sit-down good.” He’s also giving away free personalized bowling balls to five winners of an essay contest.
You’d think a kid that has a way with words like Lamar does would have this in the bag, but then he gets mixed up with a rough kid named Billy Jenks. Jenks is looking for a way to make some money betting on games, and he thinks Lamar is his ticket. With the kind of money that Jenks is winning, Lamar could buy his own Bubba ball. So he teams up with the young and shady businessman.
That’s when everything starts slipping for Lamar. Sergio stops hanging with him. His brother gets worse than ever. After a unfair beatdown from Xavier, Lamar decides he’s going to turn the tables on his brother and ruin his championship game. Billy Jenks is down with the plan, and before you know it, Lamar does a regrettable thing.
This is a great story about learning that there are consequences for every action, and that maybe it's best to stop and think about something before you do it. Lamar is not a bad kid, but he does a stupid thing and then has to make it right. Though I rooted for him to do well, it was also important that he was taken down a few pegs. Luckily, Lamar learns pretty quickly from his mistakes. Roll a few frames with him and learn a few things from a champ.
Cross Posted at Librarypoint.org
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