Fantasy book involving a boy/young man, a dragon, and some evil drakes...

First I'll mention what I'm sure of: A boy's village is attacked by drakes (not dragons). The boy finds a dragon and releases it from imprisonment. The dragon fights and kills/chases off the big/chief drake and the other drakes leave too. I read this book sometime before 2003, but after 1998. So, the book must have been written before 2003. I was in high school at the time, but I felt the book was targeted at a younger audience. It's story was childlike, like a modern fairy tale.

What I'm less sure of: I remember the book being light blue with a dragon on the front. the artwork was unusual. I don't believe it was part of a series.