Stanley Yelnats is more than just a boy with a strange last name. He's inherited the family curse and the horrible luck that goes with it. It all started with his no-good, dirty, rotten, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather who didn't keep a promise to an old lady who helped him with a problem. Fast forward and Stanley is faced with being blamed for a crime that he didn't commit. And so to Camp Green Lake he goes (but don't let the name fool you!).

 

At Camp Green Lake, life is hard. We find out more about Stanley's great-great-grandfather, the man who was the cause of the family curse. We discover the connection between the camp, famed wild west outlaw Kissing Kate Barlow, the holes that campers are forced to dig, and Stanley's family curse. Destiny connected all these threads in the past and destiny will resolve them now.

 

This is a really well-written book. We can all relate to Stanley and his being blamed for something he didn't do. And as the mystery of his family's past and the roots of the camp come to light, readers won't be able to put down the book until the story is resolved. And the ending is truly satisfactory. Be sure to pick this book up at the library!