Can clumsy, ever-slipping “Slippery” Joe solve the mystery of his best friend Jack’s disappearance—and survive a life-or-death duel with the Ice Dragon?
In the icy realm of his village, where winter claims lives under the shadow of a mythical Ice Dragon, thirteen-year-old Joe, nicknamed “Slippery,” is laughed at by everyone for his terrible sense of balance. He’s used to falling—literally and figuratively. Tired of being the village joke, he throws himself into skating practice.
One fateful day, he meets Jack, who, concerned for Joe’s reckless skating, extends a helping hand, fearing that his disregard for safety could lead to disaster. With Jack’s help, Joe finally begins to overcome his slippery nature and learn to glide like a swan across the ice.
In return for Jack’s kindness, Joe shares a dangerous secret he’s never told anyone: deep in the mountains lies a mysterious lake that shimmers with seven shifting colors during the summer. It’s said that the Ice Dragon floats in its waters, drawing in magical energy from the hues that dance beneath the surface.
Joe suggests that even in winter, when the lake freezes over, some of that power remains—and that by skating on the ice, he and Jack might be able to absorb a piece of the Dragon’s phenomenal power themselves.
Although fearful, Jack agrees to go with him. But the moment they arrive; Jack vanishes without a trace. Was Jack taken by the Dragon’s wrath, or did something even worse happen? Is he even alive?
Haunted by guilt and grief, Joe throws himself into training, determined to make himself stronger—strong enough to face the Dragon. As the villagers slowly begin to see him in a new light, Joe sets off on a reckless journey to challenge the Ice Dragon and uncover the truth about Jack’s whereabouts…
A coming-of-age fantasy adventure about courage, transformation, and the power of friendship, Slippery Joe and the Ice Dragon is a heart-pounding tale of a boy who discovers his purpose through adversity—and learns to grow stronger by overcoming it.
