There aren't very many books for middle graders or teens that feature bowling, and even fewer that feature African-American kids who like to bowl. So just on that notion alone, this book is pretty unique. But it is also a fun story about two very different brothers, about friendship, and the value of being true to yourself. Lamar is the self-titled "King of Striker's", the best bowler at the local bowling alley. Since his asthma prevents him from doing any other sports, unlike his basketball superstar brother Xavier, Lamar has developed a love of bowling along with his great skills--and he's excited about the upcoming visit of his bowling hero Bubba Sanders to the local lanes. But then Lamar gets tangled in a less-than-honest easy-money scheme. And that leads him to do something that threatens not only his integrity, his relationships with his best friend and with a girl he hopes to date, but also his brother's future as a basketball standout.

I really enjoyed this book for the characters, and the humor (Lamar's constant urge to out-do his friend Sergio at everything; his attempts to sound cool in front of girls that backfire), and the way Lamar overcomes his problems on his own merits. My only minor quibble was with the overuse of slang in the beginning; I think the ethnicity and age of the characters could have been expressed with a few less "handle your business" and "glob of laugh-out-loud", etc. I don't think the slang dates the book, it was just a bit much to wade through in every sentence. But a great first novel, with endearing memorable characters and a good story.