Selected books for youth

Looking for a good book for young readers? Carol Roberts, head of Young People’s Services at Troy Public Library, talks about four recently released books that she deems really good reads. “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir” (Martin, 2023) tells of a child in a large family in California who starts out resenting having to make room for his Mexican grandfather to move in, but comes to welcome the change. In “Plain Jane and the Mermaid” (Brosgol, 2024), an orphaned single child ventures to save her possible fiance from an evil mermaid, encountering dangerous creatures and challenges. The story has beautiful colorful illustrations. “The Eyes and the Impossible” (Eggers, 2023) is written from the point of view of a wild dog who patrols a park, with the help of many fellow animals, and reports to the bisons in charge. “The Dark: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves” (Leigh, 2024) introduces a variety of real critters that live in caves, with colorful depictions of each of them. For more details, visit www.thetroylibrary.org. Produced by Brea Barthel for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.