Stanley gets taken to camp green lake instead of going to jail for stealing Clyde Livingstons shoes.At Camp Green Lake he is forced to dig holes 5 ft deep and wide.Stanley meets X-ray, Armpit, Zig-zag, Squid, Magnet, and Zero.
Stanley finds a lipstick container with the initials of KB and gives it to X-ray then he gives it to the warden and gets a day off.Armpit, Zigzag, Squid, Magnet, Stanley, and Zero have to dig holes in pairs (one person digs the other person wheelbarrows it away while the warden watched them.
Stanley gets blamed for stealing Mr.Sirs sunflower seeds and gets taken to the warden's cabin when he returns his hole is dug by Zero. Later Stanley agrees to teach Zero how to write and read.
Stanley tries to steal the water truck and bring it to Zero but he ends up falling in a hole and runs into the desert and finds zero in a boat with the name on it. Zero is surviving off sploosh then Stanley and zero walk to God's thumb and survive off of onions.
Then the warden tells Stanley that he isn't allowed to teach Zero to read and Mr.Pendanski tells him that digging holes is all he will ever be good for, then zero hits him in the face with the shovel and runs away
In the middle of the night, the boys dig a hole and find a suitcase but the award catches them but she doesn't go closer because the boys are in a yellow-spotted lizard hole. then stanley and zero are aloud to leave camp green lakes staff management is turned over. and the curse is lifted off of Stanley family