The Dream Machine - Paperback

by Dave Reed (Illustrator), Argerie Tsimicalis (Editor), Candace Amarante (Author)

Ashling has broken her bones one hundred times. She was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare bone disorder, which makes her bones very fragile and brittle. Because of her condition, Ashling is in chronic pain and is often hospitalized.

Sixteen-year-old Ashling witnesses her eight-year-old sister, Skylar, fall and break her leg during ski practice. For the first time, Skylar experiences what Ashling goes through on a regular basis. Ashling helps Skylar deal with her pain the same way she usually does: by using her dream machine, a machine that conjures up stories of imaginary worlds to distract her from pain.

"Skylar: the rainbow seeker" is a riveting tale of rainbows, a talking mole, a wily fox and a sport-shoe crazed leprechaun, through which Ashling not only distracts her sister but also cleverly reveals a sad truth: because of her injury, Skylar will be unable to ski for the rest of the season nor accept a sponsorship from one of the biggest alpine ski companies to participate in an exclusive summer ski camp.