There are more than 450,000 children living in foster care. The Heart Knows Something Different collects over three dozen personal narratives by young writers, ages 15 to 20, and provides an insider's account of growing up in "the system." It takes us into a world largely hidden from public view, and attests to the mix of pain and fear, and sometimes hope, and sometimes even happiness that the foster care experience involves.

Getting a new haircut. Surviving clothes shopping with Mom. Losing a beloved uncle to AIDS. Hearing the band Nirvana for the first time. These are just a few of the experiences that inspired this book's young authors to sit down and write. In thirty-five frank and intimate personal essays, they express their views on serious issues like violence, racism, and teen parenting, as well as common teen experiences like dating, getting first job, and starting college. Their stories resonate with their desire to discover who they are, through the written word, and to share their discoveries with...