Stanley Yelnats was sent to Camp Green Lake after being falsely accused of stealing shoes. There he met Hector Zeroni, nicknamed Zero, and they became friends. Zero ran away into the desert but Stanley found him under an abandoned boat. They discovered a field of onions and pool of water that provided clues about the camp's past. Stanley and Zero succeeded in finding the treasure but got in trouble, though Stanley was eventually released. Stanley used the treasure to buy a new house, which he shared with Zero after Zero was reunited with his mother.