A review by swhite916
Bear Boy: The True Story of a Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to Be Free by Justin Barker

4.0

Justin Barker's memoir Bear Boy is wonderfully written. It actually covers two stories: Justin's journey through adolescence and his beginnings as an animal activist. Barker does an exceptional job capturing the ups and downs of adolescence, and the turmoil of being an outcast in middle school. Barker's Bear Boy allows the reader to feel what it is like to discover a passion and be determined with all your being to make a change in the world even if you are "just a kid." But Justin was never an average teenager, he is so much more. With drive, an uncanny understanding of how to utilize the media to his benefit, and a network of mentors, Justin persistently works to achieve his goal of freeing Ursula and Brutus from their desperate situation. I am a recently retired middle school teacher-librarian, and I highly recommend this book!