Bear Boy by Justin Barker

Meet the Author at our Celebrate the Great Outdoors Event on 07/17

A True Story of a Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to Be Free

Justin is a typical teenager, dodging school bullies, struggling with his identity 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 debut offers the optimism of the ’90s while exploring timely issues of activism, animal rights, and being queer with tenderness, unblinking honesty, and heart.