Stanley Yelnats has terrible luck because of a curse traced back to his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. After being unjustly convicted of stealing a pair of athletic shoes, he is sent to a detention center, Camp Green Lake.
Greg Heffley is a typical middle schooler who happens to keep a journal about his life. This first book introduces the reader to Greg and his best friend, Rowley and his middle school woes.
Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico - she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers.
