The Dirt Eaters: Book 1 of The Longlight Legacy by Dennis Foon Date of Publication: 2003 ISBN: 1550378066 Number of Pages: 312

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: High
GENRES: : Fantasy, Science Fiction
THEMES: Survival, Revenge, Good versus Evil, Life versus Death, Loyalty, Family, Friendship, Appearance versus Reality

SUMMARY:
Wars have transformed the world. The peaceful people of Longlight are all killed in a raid except for 16-year-old Roan and his sister Stowe. As they are running to escape the terror, a masked rider tears Stowe from Roan and Roan is left to deal with his desire for revenge, his quest to find Stowe, and his legacy of peace from Longlight.

Roan is taken in by a sect called the “Brothers.” While with them, he discovers his talent as a fighter and begins to realize things are not as they appear. After committing an act of violence and needing to escape from the Brothers, Roan runs away into the “Devastation” lands. Here he meets friends and allies. He learns the truth about the Brothers and begins his quest to find his sister. Slowly he begins to understand his purpose in life and why his village of Longlight was destroyed.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...

• enjoys stories that involve quests
• likes futuristic movies like Mad Max
• is a creative innovator (i.e. likes to add new and unusual things to existing items to create something totally new)
• enjoys trilogies and movies like The Lord of the Rings
• is motivated to read stories that have sequels
• has strong feelings for siblings
• has lost a parent
• believes he or she might have hidden abilities
• likes unusual settings in stories they read
• enjoys plots being revealed in stages, with lots of mystery surrounding them

WHAT ELSE?
Students are introduced to a number of characters and setting details that weaker students may find confusing at first. Once they get involved in the plot and the characters, however, they won't want to put the book down. There is also a sequel entitled Freewalker, with a third book finishing the trilogy. The sequel is even more complicated, so The Dirt Eaters is perhaps best suited to a grade 8 audience.

The novel was a 2004 Red Maple Award Nominee and also a 2005 Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award Nominee.

RELATED LINK:
Teacher's Resource PDF
About the Author

Supplemental Non-fiction Resource: Survival: Life in Earth’s Toughest Habitats