Animal activist Justin Barker discovered his passion for saving animals as a young teenager. Faced with routine bullying at school, dismissive adults, and an unyielding desire to rescue animals from confinement, Barker set out to free two black bears named Brutus and Ursula from a defunct zoo in Northern California, deeming him “Bear Boy”. Now, 25 years later, Barker is sharing his story in Bear Boy: The True Story of A Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to be Free.

Barker’s debut memoir showcases a teenager’s personal growth as he strives to help zoo animals…An unconventional remembrance that will encourage readers to try to create change themselves.

Justin Barker was named "One of Twenty Teens Who Will Change the World" in Teen People Magazine and featured in National Geographic, Animal Planet, NBC, CBS and hundreds of local and national media stories.