Stanley Yelnats lives under a curse that has plagued his family since his great-grandfather: he is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it is not surprising that he is sent to a juvenile detention camp, even though he is innocent. The camp is called Camp Green Lake, but there hasn't been a lake there for over 100 years. Every day, the boys must dig a hole 1.5 meters deep in the ground of the former lake - supposedly this is character building. Soon, Stanley realizes that the camp warden is not interested in character building. The author combines a surreal fairy tale world with harsh realism in this fascinating work, which also has a place for friendship and human solidarity. Recommended for high school students on the themes of crime and growing up.