Bone, Ian. Song of an innocent bystander.

BONE, Ian. Song of an innocent bystander. Read by Caroline Lee. 7 tapes. 10 hrs. Bolinda Audio. 2006. 1-7409-3793-7. $60.00. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. SA

Nine-year-old Freda Oppenheimer is held as hostage in a Family Values restaurant along with other lunchtime diners. She had run into the restaurant without her parents. Gunman and hostage taker John Wayne O'Grady plans on converting all the innocent bystanders into revolutionaries by terrorizing and brainwashing them. Ten years after, Freda still suffers the guilt of having survived and having been singled out by the gunman as a "good soldier." The story is told through flashbacks and from the point of view of a tormented 19-year-old girl who has been viewed as a hero, but has never been able to deal with her guilt and self-knowledge until she encounters someone who was also touched by the episode in the restaurant. Listeners will be intrigued by the dilemma she finds herself in.

Lee reads with a convincing Australian accent and a variety of voices that are filled with emotion appropriate to the story. She captures the angst of Freda as she reveals the truth for the first time. Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.