Sentient Media: Review
“New house rule. No quoting PETA at the dinner table” is perhaps my favorite line from Justin Barker’s autobiographical coming-of-age story about his fight to save two bears from a dismal existence at a zoo in Roseville, California. At just 13-years-old, Barker began his inspiring journey into animal activism after picking up a book called Kids Can Save the Animals: 101 Easy Things to Do. It was a time before social media, Internet forums, and even MSN chat. He relied on letter writing, telephone calls, and traditional news outlets to ignite a campaign to save Brutus and Ursula—which was ultimately successful due to his sheer determination.
