The history of psychological research on human memory has largely focused on a search for accuracy. How does individual recall match an objective, external record of an event? But, equally fundamental is the search for meaning in memory. How do individuals strive to make sense of their worlds? This special issue of Journal of Cognition and Development leads the way in gathering a group of research studies that grapple with this question. The articles discuss how children make meaning of their real world emotional experiences, as well as how this process might differ as a function of age, gender, social context, and culture. This volume stimulates much needed research in this area by presenting theoretical frameworks, methodological tools, and intriguing findings.