Bear Boy
“Barker’s casual writing style establishes an easy flow to a narrative that spans years…An unconventional remembrance that will encourage readers to try to create change themselves.”
Kirkus Reviews
Bear Boy is a true coming-of-age story of two bears who inspire one boy to stand up for animals, question authority, and discover the power of activism.
Justin is a typical teenager, dodging school bullies and waging an endless war with his parents. But when he discovers Ursula and Brutus—two sibling black bears being kept in horrific conditions at a nearby zoo—his life begins to change. He finds a cause that ignites his passion and an animal sanctuary willing to take the bears. But there’s a catch: he will have to cover the quarter-million-dollar cost.
Undaunted, Justin takes his seemingly insurmountable quest to an international audience, gaining media attention and support from celebrities. With television cameras rolling, Justin fights to free the bears, and frees himself as well.
Justin Barker’s surprising and moving YA memoir offers the optimism of the 1990s while exploring timely issues of activism, animal rights, and LGBTQ identity with tenderness, unblinking honesty, and heart.
Praise