Gary Paulsen World of Adventures Series

Will veered to the left and ducked into one of the passages leading away from the palace room. Sarah stumbled and fell. Will pulled her up. They could hear the big man closing in on them. Will took another left turn and then another. Scarface’s footsteps echoed in their ears. Deep in the damp, dark caverns of the Sacramento Mountains, Will Little Bear Tucker and his friend Sarah Thompson discover the secret of an ancient Apache legend. But armed bandits are after them. A headless Indian brave haunts them. And when they lose their way, they may not escape the eerie underground maze alive.

As Brett watched, one hand slipped loose, then the other. Tom dropped, screaming, into the flames. His body, all red and bubbled, boiled up once to the surface, then was gone. PLAYER ONE HAS ONE LIFE REMAINING. GAME CONTINUES. Flaming fire rivers. Divebombing buzz-bugs. A cruel king waiting to do battle in his computer-generated castle. Video game whizzes Brett Wilder and Tom Houston think that new virtual reality game Rodomonte’s Revenge is awesome—until it takes over their minds. Then the game playing becomes dangerously real, and one wrong move could be the last.

The rock wall above them was as smooth as polished black marble. There were no crevices and no ledges. They would have to fight for every inch. Rick looked at his friends. J.D. and Spud nodded silently. Rick stood up and started. His job would be to make the trail. Their job was to make sure he lived through it. High atop treacherous Devil’s Wall, The Rock Jockeys find much to explore. Sheer mountain cliffs. Wild woodland. Even a crashed B-17 bomber! But when they stumble upon a crew member’s diary—and underneath other eerie clues—the boys realize Devil’s Wall also holds a gruesome secret. That secret leaves The Rock Jockeys with a haunting question: If trapped on the mountain, would they do anything it takes to survive?

Thirteen-year-old Nikki Roberts tries to help two children trapped by a forest fire but finds her efforts blocked by poachers who want her to become one of the fire's victims. But after a shocking turn of events, the fire becomes the least of Nikki's problems. Will Nikki's horse, Goblin, and her years of hunting guide experience save her, or will Fire Mountain reign supreme?

A horrid shriek erupted from behind the stairs, and clammy, leathery wings exploded into Warren’s face. He slammed his eyes shut and beat the Gorgon off, hearing Rick’s sword swish through empty air. Warren dove back, rolled on his shoulder, and came up clear, his sword slicing in every direction … With his turned-up nose and pointy ears, Warren Trumbull looks a lot like a pig. Even in a world of evil warlocks and eight-foot cyclops, Warren is an oddball. He gets the worst assignments working for Prince Charming’s Damsel in Distress Rescue Agency: assignments like exterminating a Gorgon—a mean, green, scaly, creature with the power to turn humans to stone. Warren doesn’t want to become a rockhead. But he’ll need all his courage, and surprising secret weapon, to win his wildest battle ever!

“I’ve had enough … ” Alex let go of her horse and hit Bobbie like a tigress, driving her back and knocking her on her rear. “Now we’ll see if you have problems with your rump.” Bobbie leapt to her feet. Her lips were tight. She stalked past Alex and as she did reached out and shoved her backward. Into the water tank. There’s plenty of family feuding when Bobbie Walker’s cousin Alex comes from the city to visit their grandpa’s ranch. But when the cousins cross paths with the wild bull Diablo and the nasty Bledsoe boys, they must find a way to get along—or it could be the end of them both.

Something loud crashed over their heads, and they could hear gravel and dirt hitting the top of the truck. It happened again and again. The last sound they heard was the scrape of a shovel picking up more dirt. Then it was quiet. “Where do you think we are?” Woody asked. “It’s getting really cold in here.” Roman hit the back door with his fist. “I’ll tell you where we are. We’re buried alive!” Roman Sanchez’s life has become a nightmare. His father, a SWAT officer, has been killed in the line of duty. Then masked gunmen storm Roman’s classroom and hold him and three other boys hostage in a remote mountain cabin. There’s not much time before the kidnappers’ deadly threats are carried out. Can Roman overcome his fear—and the memory of his father’s death—to lead the boys’ desperate fight for freedom?

Slow-learner Daniel Martin escapes his peers' teasing by spending most of his time outdoors. But when a van crash plunges him and a gang of bullies in the river, Daniel must choose between saving himself and risking his life to save the others. The tables are turned when Daniel, always the joke, becomes the hero and the only one who can save his classmates from the perilous rapids of the rivers.

Folsom, New Mexico is young Jim Stanton's new home. His father has been given a wonderful job at Folsom National Laboratories. The company has provided the Stantons with everything they need, including a fabulous house and even a brand new car. The only trouble is that it all seems a little too perfect. Curious, Jim goes hiking in the nearby mountains, where he meets a strange girl and her father. Their warning about what the Stantons will have to sacrifice for their new, comfortable life sends Jim racing back to his family-and a perilous search through the lab. Project: A Perfect World is a gripping part of the Gary Paulsen World of Adventure series. Combining plenty of action with a story that is part suspense, part science fiction, it will attract listeners of all ages. Don't miss the mind control survival guide at the conclusion of this fast-paced tale.

Jesse Rodriguez has a pretty exciting job for a 13-year-old, working for his friend Buck at a small flight and skydiving school near Seattle. But he still can’t wait to turn 16 and finally be old enough to make his first free-fall jump from a plane. Buck has been like a father to him ever since Jesse’s dad died, and has made sure that Jesse picks up all he needs to know about skydiving while he does odd jobs around the airport. But Jesse and his friend Robin Waterford have also learned something very disturbing. Someone’s been using the airport to smuggle members of a Central American drug cartel into the United States, and Jesse’s worried that Buck is involved. Jesse and Robin find themselves in the middle of a dangerous international situation, and are forced to make their first jumps sooner than they ever expected!

Tag pointed his flashlight into the hole and peered inside. It was impossible. The inside was hollow, like an underwater cave. Something shiny lay near the opening and reflected the beam from his light. He reached inside and pulled it out. A pewter spoon. If he could have made a sound, he would have screamed with joy. He tucked the spoon in his vest pocket and reached into the hole again. A sharp stab of pain shot through his left hand. Something had hold of the tip of his thumb and was trying to yank him into the hole! Tag Jones knows that somewhere in the azure water and coral reef surrounding Bermuda lies a sunken ship full of treasure. El Patron sank in 1614, and Tag’s father died in a diving accident while looking for it. Tag won’t give up until he finds El Patron—and he’s not scared off by the local legend that says the ship is cursed. But when two tourists ask Tag and his friend Cowboy to retrieve some mysterious underwater parcels for them, the boys find themselves in dangerous water, way over their heads!