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A review by stitchsaddiction
Bear Boy: The True Story of a Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to Be Free by Justin Barker
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Brutus Ursula LLC for my advanced copy of Bear Boy.
This is an inspirational nonfiction tale of Justin Barker and his unbridled desire to live in a better world. I confess to having never heard of the Bear Boy before and curiosity had me wanting to know more once I read the synopsis and loved the beautiful cover art by Doaly and I wasn't left disappointed but there were definite moments of tears falling.
There needs to be more people in this world with the perseverance of Justin Barker when it comes to seeing what is wrong with the world and working to rectify it. I loved how idle curiosity over a secondhand book during the holidays leads to a fight for humane conditions at his zoo, because God help us zoos in the nineties and earlier where horrific for the wonderful creatures that lived there. I used to hate seeing animals from stories looking so lost when I was young (old soul here..)
I could see clearly a young Justin Barker in my head running up phone bills, and being surrounded by letters and information as curiosity becomes a passion but it's the tale of two essentially forgotten bears that made me cry. I read many of the pages of Bear Boy through tears as Barker recounts the events of Brutus and Ursula's imprisonment and eventual freedom, as no animal deserved to be neglected as they were.
It's a story that should be taught to children everywhere, because stories such as this? Are ones that will hopefully lead to changes in the way we see the world and those we share it with.
But this book isn't just about Justin Barker and his activism bug also his journey from the bullied kid who doesn't know his place with others to him learning about his gender, and finding others who love him for exactly who he is. There were giggles of the scenes of him dancing to the Spice Girls, a soft sigh as he sings Mama over the phone to his Mom in the early hours, and pride as he announces who he is because all of us should find acceptance.
Bear Boy is wonderful. Truly truly wonderful, and I wish I had heard about Brutus and Ursula before.. even if I was left in floods of tears.
This is an inspirational nonfiction tale of Justin Barker and his unbridled desire to live in a better world. I confess to having never heard of the Bear Boy before and curiosity had me wanting to know more once I read the synopsis and loved the beautiful cover art by Doaly and I wasn't left disappointed but there were definite moments of tears falling.
There needs to be more people in this world with the perseverance of Justin Barker when it comes to seeing what is wrong with the world and working to rectify it. I loved how idle curiosity over a secondhand book during the holidays leads to a fight for humane conditions at his zoo, because God help us zoos in the nineties and earlier where horrific for the wonderful creatures that lived there. I used to hate seeing animals from stories looking so lost when I was young (old soul here..)
I could see clearly a young Justin Barker in my head running up phone bills, and being surrounded by letters and information as curiosity becomes a passion but it's the tale of two essentially forgotten bears that made me cry. I read many of the pages of Bear Boy through tears as Barker recounts the events of Brutus and Ursula's imprisonment and eventual freedom, as no animal deserved to be neglected as they were.
It's a story that should be taught to children everywhere, because stories such as this? Are ones that will hopefully lead to changes in the way we see the world and those we share it with.
But this book isn't just about Justin Barker and his activism bug also his journey from the bullied kid who doesn't know his place with others to him learning about his gender, and finding others who love him for exactly who he is. There were giggles of the scenes of him dancing to the Spice Girls, a soft sigh as he sings Mama over the phone to his Mom in the early hours, and pride as he announces who he is because all of us should find acceptance.
Bear Boy is wonderful. Truly truly wonderful, and I wish I had heard about Brutus and Ursula before.. even if I was left in floods of tears.