Bear Boy, Justin Barker
Bear Boy, Justin Barker
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Bear Boy
The True Story of a Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to be Free

Author: Justin Barker, Jane Goodall

Narrator: Justin Barker

Unabridged: 4 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/26/2024

Synopsis

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."This is a book that will encourage you to follow your dreams...I simply couldn't put it down." -Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace"An empowering story of a young man who discovered his words count, his actions count, and he counts...Delightful in umpteen ways." -Ingrid Newkirk, president, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals"A truly empowering story of compassion, activism, and self-discovery." -Jasmin Singer, author of Always Too Much and Never EnoughJustin 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'll 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 it turns out himself.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.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Trisha on March 05, 2022

An inspiring account of how a thirteen-year-old kid rescued two bears from his local zoo where they were living in unbearable conditions and his own internal quest of coming out and discovering himself in the process. I was hooked on this memoir from the moment I picked it up. The writing is simple y......more

Goodreads review by Athena on July 24, 2021

An arc was provided by the publisher via TeenInk in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own. Get ready animal activists! Bear Boy by Justin Barker will dig its claws into your heart! In this autobiographical narrative nonfiction book about activism and growing up, t......more

Goodreads review by Psychonaut on May 14, 2021

Full disclosure- I know Justin personally. And I had heard this story before, many years ago. Our mutual friend would say "tell the Bear Boy story!" and Justin would tell the 5 minute, extremely humble, version of the story. So I THOUGHT I knew this story. But boy, was I wrong! I had NO IDEA all tha......more

Goodreads review by Jenni on April 17, 2021

This book includes a beautiful foreword from Jane Goodall, best known for her research of wild chimpanzees. In the beginning, the author, Justin, is an awkward middle schooler who is the perfect target for bullies: the kid who cried on the school field trip to the zoo, who has no friends, and doesn'......more

Goodreads review by Holly on May 30, 2021

This was such an interesting read, I can't believe what an interesting life Justin Barker has had. Following him as a teen (mostly) we learn where he got his love of animals and how that impacted his life and the decisions he made, it also follows his period of time questioning his sexuality and lea......more

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