stories written by some of our best contemporary fiction writers explore the experience of coming of age in America today. Chosen for their literary excellence and insight, and ordered according to the age of the stories' main characters (from three to eighteen), they range across gender, ethnicity, and circumstance. Americans have always had a fascination for youth. In this remarkable collection, readers will find superb stories of emotional power and unerring honesty that dramatize and celebrate this special time of life.