Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales - by Wendy S Swore (Hardcover)

About the Book

Two friends, Liam and Alaina, embark on a journey to unravel the mystery of Liam's mysterious illness, drawing upon their knowledge of fairy tales and employing Alaina's own experience with an invisible adversary, type 1 diabetes, as they navigate a world of curses and magical solutions to save Liam.

Book Synopsis

Can two friends solve the mystery of Liam's "curse" by using their knowledge of fairy tales?

Something is wrong with Liam. He collapses during soccer practice, he can't stay awake in class, and he's starting to see a ghostly white fox that disappears into smoke. His parents and teachers accuse him of being lazy and staying up too late, but he knows it's something worse.

No one believes him except for Alaina, a friend and self-proclaimed expert in fantasy and fairy tales. She's seen this sort of thing before and believes Liam has been cursed with a powerful sleeping spell. Her journal is full of possible ways to break a curse. Liam is skeptical, but with his normal life slipping further away, he agrees to try her potential cures.

As they search for answers in stories, Alaina shares that she also is dealing with something no one else can see: type 1 diabetes. It rears its head like an invisible dragon, and she carries her medical equipment as a knight's lance and dragon-scale shield to battle it.

As Liam's mystery illness worsens, he will need Alaina's friendship--and perhaps a bit of fairy magic--to find a way to understand the truth of what is happening and regain the pieces of himself that are lost.

Review Quotes

Selected as a "recommended title" by the Kansas National Education Association's Reading Circle Commission-- "Kansas National Education Association" (2/28/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"This lightly illustrated dual-perspective tale of two kids navigating chronic illness offers age-appropriate disability representation."

-- "Kirkus"

About the Author

Wendy S. Swore and her family are farmers. She writes part-time, particularly in winter when her farming chores give her time to plant seeds in her imagination.

Her debut novel, A Monster Like Me, was the 2019 Gold Winner for Juvenile Fiction from Foreword Reviews. She is a member of SCBWI. Visit the author at wendyswore.com.