AUDIOBOOKS

Bitter Tea and Rock Candy

by Yan Gu
Macmillan Young Listeners. Sept. 2025. 8p. $4.99. ISBN 9781250409706. Gr 1-2
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Gr 1-2–This heartwarming intergenerational story focuses on cultural connection through food. Mimi is creative in finding ways to get rid of her grandmother’s tea, which she finds hot, bitter, and just plain yucky. Once her grandmother pairs the tea with sweet rock candy, however, they can enjoy it together. The story demonstrates empathy and is a great read that can help diversify audio shelves. Chin is a fantastic reader, and the background music is calming and keeps the story enticing for young audiences. Pairing the audio with print copies of the book is best, as unfamiliar words may be hard to understand without seeing and hearing them. Chin’s smooth pronunciation of Chinese words is helpful.
VERDICT A great addition to elementary ­libraries where teachers seek audiobooks for read-alouds.
Reviewed by Veronika Parrone , Feb 01, 2026

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