Tag Archive for Audio version of Bystander

GOOD NEWS: Finally, An Audiobook of BYSTANDER!

A question I’ve been asked many times over the years goes something like this: “Our school is featuring your book, Bystander, in our ‘One Book, One School’ project. We want every student in grades 6 and 7 to read a copy of your book. However, because of the wide range of reading abilities, we wondered if there’s an audiobook available?”

And I’d always apologize, say that I wish there was, but . . . well, for whatever reasons . . . no. There was no audiobook.

Occasionally I’d follow that up with a plaintive, bleating note to my editor — okay, maybe I’d whine a little — asking why and why not. There were many reasons why such a thing should exist. It’s a book that sells reasonably well, year to year. A perennial. And besides, if we believe in the topic of the book, of the message and the meaning, it made sense to provide an audiobook. Not for nothing, but sometimes those students who struggle in school end up being the targets of bullying behavior. An audiobook seemed to me like, well, the right thing.

But no, I’d apologize over and over, no audiobook exists. Sorry!

Now on October 29th, 2019, that sad story gets a happy ending. Finally, there’s an audiobook for Bystander.

I haven’t heard it yet. Available through the usual places, produced by Audiobooks. Fingers crossed.