When Lava Strikes: Secrets of an Overworld Survivor, #2

By Greyson Mann and Grace Sandford

When Will and Mina discover an abandoned mine shaft, they quickly plan a treasure hunt. The two friends dream of the riches they’ll unearth together and can’t wait to get started, but they quickly discover that they very different ideas about what treasure is! Torn between searching for mobs and potion supplies and seeking out the chest at the heart of the mine, the duo is on the verge of splitting up.

But then a trio of treasure hunters challenge Will and Mina, and a poorly aimed pickaxe puts everyone in the mine in danger. As the chambers around them fill with lava and their hunt for treasure becomes a fight for survival, can Will and Mina put their differences aside and work together to escape with their lives?

Every chapter of this second installment in the Secrets of an Overworld Survivor chapter book series is packed with adventureperfect for introducing young gamers to reading!

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readerspicture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. In particular, this adventure series is created especially for readers who love the fight of good vs. evil, magical academies like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga, and games like Minecraft, Terraria, and Pokemon GO. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sky Pony
• Release date: Jan 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781510713291

Greyson Mann

Greyson Mann is the author of the Creeper Diaries series and the Secrets of an Overworld Survivor series from Sky Pony Press. He kept diaries like Gerald's when he was a middle schooler. He kept right on writing through high school and college and now creates books for kids from his home in Madison, Wisconsin. Greyson enjoys playing Minecraft with his nephew, sometimes writes bad rap songs, and hangs out with his three sisters, whom he now adores.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Will zoomed down the dark tunnel in his minecart, leaning from side to side as the tracks jogged left, then right. He braced himself as the cart climbed upward, slowing to a crawl. It teetered at the top of the tracks and then—

Will, watch out!

Mina’s warning jolted Will out of his daydream. He glanced down, realizing he was about to topple into a deep ravine. Yikes! He jumped backward, gripping the branch of a spruce tree for support.

You’re moving too fast! cried Mina, her hand on her heart. We’re in the extreme hills now. You have to watch for drop-offs, ravines, even streams of hot lava. That’s why we left Shadow at your house, remember?

Will’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. I know, he snapped. I’m fine. But as the wind whipped through his hair, he glanced back down at the steep ravine and shuddered. That was a close call.

What were you daydreaming about, anyway? asked Mina as they picked their way carefully along the path. Were you thinking about Shadow?

Will shook his head. Sure, he missed the yellow tabby cat that he and Mina had found in the jungle. But he knew Shadow would be safest staying at home with his brother, Seth.

No, he admitted, I was actually imagining how much fun it’ll be to find an abandoned mineshaft. He felt a rush of excitement just saying the words.

Mina hoisted up the pack on her back and nodded happily. "I know. The hills up here are full of treasures. I can’t wait to—"

—ride some minecarts! interrupted Will.

—mine some redstone! finished Mina. "Wait, what? Minecarts? Sure, that’ll be fun. But the caves around here have real treasure, Will. Like the redstone I need to make my potions last longer. And giant slimes, which drop slimeballs. I need those to make magma cream for my potion of fire resistance. And we might find gold and diamonds—even emeralds!"

Will shrugged. Right now, he wasn’t thinking about all that stuff. Maybe he and Mina just disagreed about what real treasures were.

I know Mina’s all about her potion ingredients, he thought as he followed her bobbing ponytail up the trail. But why call this land the extreme hills if you can’t have extreme adventures? And a little fun?

You know, Will, she called over her shoulder, if we find diamonds, you could craft a diamond sword.

That stopped him in his tracks. Will glanced