Plot

Plot - Letter Home Stanley wrote a letter to his mother or father describing an ideal, or at least typical, summer camp (p. 46 and p.81). Imagine you are Stanley and write a truthful letter (or at least based on what could have happened) to your mother telling her about your real experiences at Camp Green Lake. Include the people Stanley interacts with, his daily routines, and his problems! You will want to include not only what has been happening, but how he is feeling.

Things you could write about: - describe the setting of Camp Green Lake - feelings - what has happened - campers - zero, x-ray, armpit, etc - “workers” - MR. Sir. Warden, Mr. Pendanski

Here are a few letters we have written:

 Dear Mom and Dad, SOS get me out of this place I would rather eat one of dad’s old shoes. Get me out of this plain wasteland I have blisters and blood covering my hands my neck is burnt Camp “green lake” is a place to die living here is worst than jail we dig holes 5 feet wide and deep yellow spotted lizards are all over the place and rattle snakes roam the area How can I live and look at a person who’s swelling head is the size of two cantaloupes and doesn't give me water but gives it to the thirsty ground who is killing me every day of the week.

 Dear Mom and Dad, Camp is hard work and honestly one of my worst nightmares. The people here are tough and not so welcoming but i don't really blame them they have been here for a long time. The holes that “build character” are killing me i cant take it and i find it pointless it doesn't teach me anything besides hating this place even more. I cant help but think about home and you and dad, i hope this time dads shoe project works. Mr.Pendanski is one of the people at camp who are welcoming and make camp feel a lot better than digging holes. “Mr.Sir” as we call him is a strict man he is always reminding us this is not girl scouts and is a way to build character. The Warden is probably one of the most strictest harshest people not just people but woman i have ever met. I chose not to mess with her and i wont be talking to her unless she asks me anything! A boy called X-ray is like the leader of the camp or acts like it me and him are friends and i am getting to know him better. No i have not been bullied during camp and don't think i will ever be at camp as i said the people here are welcoming but i wouldn't get in a fight with them any day. Camp is hard work and nervous the people here are scary but the kids are cool i wouldn't say i like it here but i wouldn't say i don't like it here. From your one of a lot, Stanley P.S Don't worry about me i will be fine, Okay i might be fine, maybe i wont be so fine when i come back if i make it back that is.

 Dear mom and dad,  Camp Green Lake isn’t really a lake its all dried up about a 100 years ago, instead its like a dry flat wasteland with holes sticking up from the ground where the lake used to be. I figured in camp its not just camp fun and games their trying to kill you first you have to wakeup at around 4:30 because thats where its not the hottest part of the day. Also you have to dig holes 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide, I never really dug a hole so its really challenging I have lots of blisters around fingers but don’t worry I’ll just get use to it. I made some friends in my Group, they have weird nicknames like Magnet, Squid, Armpit, X-ray and a guy called Zero but I have to remember why this boys were sent here in the first place. After finishing my first hole I was really proud of my self but now Im having second thoughts my whole body is aching and feeling sore.

Tomorrow will be my second day in camp I’m trying to not get myself into trouble because Mr. Sir thats like the second person in charge, the real person in charge is this person called the Warden I haven’t seen him yet and I don’t want to find out. My camp counsellor Mr. Pendanski told me they’s only 1 rule in camp green lake don’t mess with the Warden

I have not adjust to this harsh conditions the sun is like 95 degrees and you don’t have anything to cover you except a orange hat. I feel a little bit stronger and I think i lost some weight. Im feeling a little bit homesick but Mr. Pendanski trying to make me feel at home. I’ll try to take care of myself and I’ll see you in 3 months around that From, Stanley

 Hi Mom and Dad, Camp Green Lake is a dry waste land. You have to dig holes. We also get so little water. I get thirsty all the time! I also get so many splinters on my hand. They make me wear this jump suit that is orange, and it smells so bad. I have to sleep on a bed that also smells bad. If only my great-great-pig-stealing-grandfather didn’t steal the pig, I would have to be digging holes everyday. I also found something while I was digging and I had to give it to X-Ray, so I didn’t get the day off. A counselor named Mr. Sir doesn’t like me. He is so mean. I wish that I can get out of this camp as quick as I can. From, Stanley

 Mom and Dad,

Life in camp is horrible, their are too much work there. It is really dry and hot. The lake got dried up 100 years ago. Out there, their is lots of dangerous creatures; the scorpion, the rattlesnake, and worst of all the yellow spotted lizard! It can kill you slowly. All you do their is digging holes. THey have to be exactly 5 foot deep and 5 feet wide. Imagine digging it Mommy! Horrible. I made a couple of friends their, they have weird names, like Armpit, Zero, Squid, X-ray, Zig-Zag, and Magnet. They call me caveman!

The adults at the camp are really mean, especially the warden. She injured Mr. Sir by scratching her. Mr. Sir walks around spitting in holes we dig. He also threatens us. Their are too much rules at the camp that offends us. One of them is don’t disturb the warden or else you will be punished. The Warden is freaky!!!! She seems like she’s 7 foot.

I did not steal the shoes mommy. I found out who stole it. It is one of my friends who does not know how to read and write. His name is Zero. He is a Hobo who does not have a mother nor a father. I feel bad for him. While he was running he threw the shoes down from the bridge above of me. I miss home a lot. Compared to here, this is hell and home is heaven.

Love you, Stanley Yelnats IIII 

 Dear Mom and Dad,

Camp is going fine but not the funniest thing in life. Today, we had to dig more holes like every boring, miserable day of mine. I hope your life is going fine, if it is, i’m happy at least some of my family members are happy (unlike me). I hope one day, the judge will regret what he did to me and he will have to come here and dig holes. (that would be so funny!) I know that you want me to write to you truely so here it goes - I HATE IT HERE!!! THE GUYS HATE ME AND I’M SCARED THAT A FREAKISH YELLOW SPOTTED LIZARD WILL EAT MY GUTS OUT!!! DEAR LORD, HELP ME!!!!!!! OK, so now since we got that out of the way, why don’t you meet the people that I am forced to be with - There is Arm Pit, Zero, X-Ray, Squid, Magnet, and Caveman. Tomorrow, we are going to Rock Climb and Swim back and forth in my imaginary lake. The real lake dried up more than 1000 years ago. There are barley any trees or any lives. There is also a Warden. He is scary and if you go near him......you don’t really want to know!!! I feel really bad that I came here and I feel bad for all the people here because I don’t fit in AT ALL!!

If you really want to see me, I suggest you die too. =( Next time, I promise I will be good, but please bail me out from this Prison or else I’ll do a Prison Break =D From Stanley. P.S. I still really hate this idea!!!!!

 Dear mom and dad,

Camp is the worst place you could ever go to!!! Camp green lake is a barren wasteland that is as HOT as the sun. Some of the staff are very mean and they stab people with pitchforks. There is no lake in camp green lake and it is NOTHING like summer camp. Some of the kids here are thugs and killers and beat up the smaller kids. This desert is full of snakes and scorpions that bite you when you go near them. The worst thing you could is to get bitten by the yellow spotted lizard. You can die from that!!!

I have made friends with some of the campers called Squid, X-ray, Zero and Armpit. X-ray is sort of like the leaders of the campers because people do whatever he tells them. Our counselor's name is Mr. Pendanski. He is nicer than the other staff in the camp. There is only one rule in the camp: DON’T UPSET THE WARDEN!!! The warden is really mean when she gets mad, like I said before, she stabs people with pitchforks.

This is the worst place you could possibly end up at. There are so many things you need to watch out for, The warden, rattlesnakes, scorpions and the yellow spotted lizard is the worst. It’s the last place that you want to be at. Stanley

 Dear Mom and Dad, Camp Green Lake is the most horrible place ever, all you do is dig holes in the hot sun. There isn't even a lake here, it’s just a hot dry wasteland. There are all sorts of dangers here, like scorpions and rattlesnakes. There is not much water here and we are always thirsty. There is also this lizard called the yellow spotted lizard that kills as soon as it bites. The water in the shower is as cold as ice and we barely get to drink anything. There are other boys here to, we all have nicknames, there is Zero, X-ray, Armpit, Magnet and Zig-Zag, i’m called Caveman, even the Warden calls me that. The Warden is kind of scary, she’s in charge of the camp.

 Dear Mom & Dad,

Camp Green Lake is miserable! It is the least place I would EVER go to! I don’t know why the judge made me go here? All we do is dig HOLES. But, I have to be happy at least we have shelter and food. The food is “ OKAY” It’s not the best, I miss the old food that I would have at home. Over here ( Cap Green Lake) its field with dry grass and dirt, there are NO trees or anything, nothing ALIVE! There are NO lakes, so I wonder why they call it CAMP GREEN LAKE? When theres no green trees or anything or a lake. Sometimes I am scared because there are like A LOT of yellow spotted lizards, they can kill you slowly and painfully, and I don’t want to DIE!

Sometimes I am glad that I am not in the “ REAL WORLD” No boys bully me or anything, we are all friends. There are 5 boys in my little tent/ my “ PARTNERS” there names are, Arm Pit, X-RAY, ZERO, Squid, and Magnet. We all have nick names, I’m not a 100% sure what there real names are yet, but I’m getting there. Its been 3 weeks and A LOT of things happened to me. The first day when I was digging my body hacked like crazy, but the second and the third was the worst. I couldn’t breath sometimes and my throat was like dry because they only give us water every 2-3 hours. We are boiling out there! Yesterday was fun, you can say. I found a little charm that said “ KB” I was so happy because when someone finds a artifact we get a day off, if Miss. WARDEN likes it. 49.99% of people get to have the day off, and the rest still have to dig. Well when I found the charm bracelet I had to give it to this boy name, X-RAY! He is like the “leader” of the group Im kind of afraid of him, but I’m fine, DON’T WORRY!

Well I’ll see you soon:) I miss you guys A LOT and tell me everything that happened while i was gone. I might look better or worse you never know? But PRAY to god that I’ll make it back SAFE AND SOUND!

Sincerely, Stanley 

Dear Mum & Dad,

Camp green lake is terrible! It does not even have a lake! Digging holes is super hard, I takes so long to dig one that has to be 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep! The people here give each other names and I have to sleep in a place where a guy they called Barf bag slept! If I find something interesting during digging I have to tell an adult and the Warden could give you the rest of the day off if she likes it. A guy they call X-Ray is the “Leader” he told me if I found anything give it to him. I found something I didn’t want to give it to X-Ray, I wanted to give it to the Warden secretly but four other guys called Armpit, Magnet, Zigzag, and Zero saw me with it and X-Ray saw them looking at me and found out that I found something. X-Ray took the thing I found and put it in his hole got the day off now the Warden has been making us search his hole to see if there is something else!

I am very frustrated but I still dearly miss you!

Love, Stanley 

Dear Mom and Dad, Camp is hard. We’ve been waking at the crack of dawn everyday of every week, and ate breakfast that tasted like sour milk, and socks. Then I dig holes everyday of every week, 5 feet deep, and 5 feet high in a wasteland. By the way Mom and Dad, no matter how much I drink I seem to be thirsty all the time these days. I, also never get to use the bar of soap I got since there isn’t anytime, and I’m trying to be nice to the leader here so I can live simple and easy here. The leader likes to do everything “First”, “Best”, and “Easy”. Mom and Dad I use a stinky cot used by a person who was named “Barf Bag”, and I think “Barf Bag” died. I don’t think this is Fun and Games at all. Mom and Dad I hope the project with sneakers are coming out good, and write back. P.S. I found some thing with the mark KB on it so I gave it to X-Ray, and he gave me a higher position then before! I also think the person called Warden (she’s the head!) wants to find something. - Stanley Yelnats IV, Your Son   Dear Mom,

You know how I was excited about going to camp? It’s miserable here. All of the kids have to dig a hole EVERY DAY! In the aching heat, in the dangerous dessert, we have to dig a hole 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep. How am I supposed to survive this. I am hot and sweaty all the time, and I never get to clean myself with soap because I only have 4 minutes to take a shower in the freezing cold water. I have made friends, but every one has a nickname. I am called Caveman. But I don’t feel safe or happy with these friends. Mostly because I know what these boys can do to me. But I just keep quiet because I want to have one place where I don’t get bullied. I guess I’m learning something here, but I don’t know what it is. Weird right? Mr. Sir, the boss, says were digging to grow character. But what is that supposed to mean? The only thing I’m growing is blisters on my hands. But I’m getting stronger. Maybe when I come back I won’t be overweight, but that’s only if I come back. I don’t know if I’ll make it here. We only get a certain amount of water, and the food is terrible. Plus, my bed isn’t comfortable, actually everything isn’t comfortable. And everything stinks. I feel like I’m living in a big bubble of sweat.

Maybe jail was a better idea. Hopefully I’ll see you again. All my love, Stanley Yelnats aka Caveman.

 Dear Mom,

Camp is horrible! There is no lake at all and all we do all day is dig holes one after another 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide. We dig in the hot sun and only get our water filled twice a day. The showers are freezing but I can’t wash because we are timed. The sun makes my tired and sweaty and after every day i feel like i want to commit suicide. I have really bad friends that make me lie under pressure. The Warden i think hates me, AND Mr.Sir defiantly hates me. In the middle of nowhere, the dangerous things that could happen, they don’t care about any of that. I could get bit my a yellow spotted lizard and nobody would pay attention. I think we are digging for more then finding a stronger character-I think we are working hard just for a secret that may lie in the past. Whenever we find something good we show it to the Warden and we can either get the day off if she likes it. We found something good but I did not get credit for it -I had to give it to someone under pressure. Now everyday we are digging in the wrong place for the wrong thing because the “item” was found by my hole but the boy lied and said he found it by his whole. The Warden make us work hard-I think she wants something really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, bad because if she did not she would not make us work.

Well see you at my funeral,

Caveman-Your son of the prehistoric diggers

<span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"> Dear Mom and Dad Things here are hard digging holes all day only getting little water and worst of all 4 minute showers only. Camp Green Lake is not a real lake it is a dry waste land. No lake at all just dirt a shovel and a big yellow sun watching you all day. I made some new friends that good there is armpit, x-ray and me caveman there is also zero who does not speak much. Do not ask why they call me caveman it is a really long story. Every part of my body is sore and every hole is the hardest. On the first day I had to dig a hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet long. By the end of the day I had blisters everywhere and they started to bleed. Mr.Sir is not the worst the worst is the warden. The biggest rule is do not mess with the warden no one knows what she will do if she messes with you. So I am going to stick with that rule and keep quiet. She is making us work harden after x-ray found an artifact that I gave him. He told me to give one to him because he can not see well and besides he has been her here the longest. I guess it was a nice thing to do right? Well I will see you later I think? Love ya

Sincerely Stanley <span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;">