It’s Christmas morning, and Theo’s Yiayia has knitted his dog, Ari, a special red sweater. But when Ari shows his disinterest in the gift, Theo steps in to show his grandmother just how much they appreciate her kindness.

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.