YA/Junior chapter book - Dragon and a boy

[Amanda]

I am trying to find a book that I read as a pre-teen.
The main character was a boy, who finds a dragon in a cave. The dragon might have been sick or injured. The boy and the dragon become friends. And I think the dragon pricked the boys hand and he grew a dragon scale on his hand.

[Liralen]

There was something like that in one of the Narnia books -- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader?

[Ben]

Was it The Dragon and the Thief by Gillian Bradshaw? An Egyptian boy decides to steal treasure from the tombs and finds a dragon hiding in one. I read it as a pre-teen and liked it, and only recently figured out what book it was. I don't remember the part about the scale on his hand, but it has been a long time and I can't remember the plot, other than the dragon is surprised the boy can't eat raw meat and has to cook it for him.

[Amanda]

Ben wrote: "Was it The Dragon and the Thief by Gillian Bradshaw? An Egyptian boy decides to steal treasure from the tombs and finds a dragon hiding in one. I read it as a pre-teen and liked it, and only recent..."

This sounds promising. I'll check it out. It's been a long time since I read it too. Thank you.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Amanda, are you still looking for this or did you find it?