Exposition
Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has bad luck due to a curse placed on his great-greatgrandfather, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he did
not commit. Stanley and the other boys at the camp are forced to dig large holes in the
dirt every day. Stanley has a hard time digging holes there due to the incredible heat
and the hard, dry land. Stanley eventually realizes that they are digging these holes
because the Warden is searching for something.
Rising Action
Stanley was told that the curse on his family is because of his great-great-grandfather,
Elya Yelnats who did not keep the promise he made with a gypsy named Madame
Zeroni. His grandfather also told him about Kissing Kate Barlow, who had murdered and
robbed some men in the West, including Stanley’s great grandfather. Stanley realizes
that she must have buried some of his treasure in the vicinity of Camp Green Lake,
when he digs up a lipstick tube with the initials KB. The Warden, who happens to be a
descendent of Charles Walker, who originally loved Kate Barlow, is aware about this,
which is why he forces the boys to dig the holes. The boys at the camp are tough and
Stanley tries to stay in the good graces of X-Ray, the obvious leader of the group but
this becomes harder as Stanley becomes better friends with a boy named Zero.
Although Stanley and Zero, also known as Hector Zeroni, do not know it, Hector is the
great-great-great-grandson of Madame Zeroni.
Turning Point
Zero eventually runs away from camp and Stanley, in an effort to save him, follows after
a few days. The two help each other to reach the top of a big mountain, which turns out
to be Sam's old onion field. Because Zero is very weak, Stanley carries him up this
mountain.
Falling Action
They survive on onions for more than a week and then return to camp, planning to
search for Kate Barlow's treasure in the hole where Stanley found the lipstick tube.
Denouement
Stanley and Zero find a suitcase that has the name Stanley Yelnats on it. Although the
Warden tries to take the suitcase from them, Stanley's lawyer arrives to say that Stanley
has been proven innocent and Stanley and Hector can leave the camp with the
suitcase. It turns out that the suitcase contains many valuable items and is in fact the
same suitcase that Kate Barlow took from Stanley's great-grandfather many years ago.
Option 2: What Romeo might think about Juliet:
"I really like that girl, Juliet. She's a great woman and I'd like to get to know her more.
Unfortunately, that Paris is totally in the way. Doesn't he know it's not romantic to be set
up with someone? Obviously he has no common sense or romance in his head. Wooing
and flirting and marriage, especially, shouldn't be set up. You shouldn't have to do it
because you are told. Paris doesn't seem to know that. He's just the type of guy who is
annoying, you can tell just by looking at him that he's a total weirdo. Especially to me,
now that I have laid my eyes on Juliet." Someone needs to tell Paris to just get lost.