I'll 2nd the vote for a genesis. I shot one a couple times last summer and its a quality bow. I felt like an idiot trying to shoot with fingers and no sights for the first time, since I normally shoot with a mechanical release and a peep sight but that is beside the point.
The genesis has a very nice let off in the draw that seems to work for all sizes of shooter.
I was tempted to get my nephew a bow this year (and face the wrath of my sister) and I checked out all the cheaper options and found that all of the $50-$75 bows seem to cater to little kids (I'd say 6-8 yr olds mostly). Unless the shooter is going to be very small, I think they will outgrow the cheap bows very quickly.
If hunting is the end goal, I would look at the bear apprentice. Its a little more money but it gets you an arrow rest, peep sights, quiver etc. and should shoot a lot faster than the genesis. These aren't necessary items but most people who hunt (and aren't going traditional) use this style equipment. I believe you would need to get a mechanical release for this bow as well.