0
    • Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
    0 0
    Download high-resolution image
    Listen to a clip from the audiobook
    audio pause button
    0:00
    0:00

    Alma Presses Play

    Author Tina Cane
    Listen to a clip from the audiobook
    audio pause button
    0:00
    0:00
    Ebook
    RH Childrens Books | Make Me a World
    On sale Sep 14, 2021 | 336 Pages | 9780593121160
    Grades 6-12
    Reading Level: Lexile NP
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    See Additional Formats
    A lyrical novel-in-verse that takes us through the journey of coming of age in New York during the 80s.

    Alma's life is a series of halfways: She's half-Chinese, half-Jewish; her parents spend half the time fighting, and the other half silent; and she's halfway through becoming a woman. But as long as she can listen to her Walkman, hang out with her friends on the stoops of the Village, and ride her bike around the streets of New York, it feels like everything will be all right. Then comes the year when everything changes, and her life is overtaken by constant endings: friends move away, romances bloom and wither, her parents divorce and--just like that--her life as she knew it is over. In this world of confusing beginnings, middles, and endings, is Alma ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life?
     

     
    Tina Cane grew up in downtown New York City during the 70s and 80s, surrounded by artists and writers and musicians, and she draws much of her creative inspiration from that era. The founder/ director of Writers-in-the-Schools, RI, Tina also currently serves as the poet laureate of Rhode Island where she lives with her husband and three children, who are also a major source of inspiration.
      View titles by Tina Cane
    • SELECTION | 2022
      Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices

    About

    A lyrical novel-in-verse that takes us through the journey of coming of age in New York during the 80s.

    Alma's life is a series of halfways: She's half-Chinese, half-Jewish; her parents spend half the time fighting, and the other half silent; and she's halfway through becoming a woman. But as long as she can listen to her Walkman, hang out with her friends on the stoops of the Village, and ride her bike around the streets of New York, it feels like everything will be all right. Then comes the year when everything changes, and her life is overtaken by constant endings: friends move away, romances bloom and wither, her parents divorce and--just like that--her life as she knew it is over. In this world of confusing beginnings, middles, and endings, is Alma ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life?
     

     

    Author

    Tina Cane grew up in downtown New York City during the 70s and 80s, surrounded by artists and writers and musicians, and she draws much of her creative inspiration from that era. The founder/ director of Writers-in-the-Schools, RI, Tina also currently serves as the poet laureate of Rhode Island where she lives with her husband and three children, who are also a major source of inspiration.
      View titles by Tina Cane

    Awards

    • SELECTION | 2022
      Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices

    Additional formats

    Other Books by this Author

    Related Articles

    Mental Health Awareness Month Resources
    General

    Mental Health Awareness Month Resources

    May is Mental Health Awareness Month and educators are increasingly aware that integrating social-emotional learning into the curriculum is critical if we want students to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Download the thematic educator guides on Teaching About Anxiety and Mindfulness and Teaching About Student Wellness. Explore our specially curated collections on

    Read more

    Mental Health Awareness Month Resources

    General
    Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Book Covers: 9780593731703 MY DOCUMENTS (RH) 9780593804872 A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF (Knopf) 9780593298381 WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM (Penguin) 9781603095747 IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI (IDW)
    Asian American History Literature Sociology

    Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

    Each May, we honor the stories, histories, and cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Below is a selection of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators to share with your students this month and throughout the year. AANHPI Creators – Middle School titles AANHPI Creators – High School titles .

    Read more

    Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

    Asian American History Literature Sociology

    Penguin Random House Secondary Education

    © 2026 Penguin Random House

    Back to Top
    0
    Wish List (0)