Book excerpt: "Ward of the State: A Memoir of Foster Care," tells what happened to a little black boy from the inner city of Detroit. This is the story of Karlos Dillard, severely neglected by his mother who often left him and his siblings at home alone for weeks to fend for themselves. Enduring severe neglect and abuse, the boy was removed by the State of Michigan and put into foster care. Karlos was removed from his mother's care just to end up in foster homes that treated him worse. The book is an emotional rollercoaster. Every time Karlos describes the pain he is feeling you will feel the same pain. Whether it be hunger, anger, or being sexually violated. Karlos' use of words makes sure that you aren't just reading the book, you are actually engaged. What is most enticing are the small victories experienced in the story because they give you a break from the horrors of some of the foster homes. Karlos was told he was not loved, he was not wanted and he was nothing but a ward of the State. Karlos had nothing left to look forward to and that almost ended his life, but his hope to find a family that loved him kept him alive.