The White Ravens 2025

Munich, 9 October 2025 – As political and cultural divisions increasingly shape what young readers can access, the International Youth Library has released the latest edition of The White Ravens, its influential annual catalogue of international children’s and young adult literature.

In many countries, books for young readers continue to promote topics such as diversity, democratic values, human rights, and environmental awareness. However, other markets are seeing mounting restrictions, with some titles facing censorship. Even established democracies like the United States have experienced a surge in book bans in recent years, affecting authors, educators, and students nationwide.

Against this backdrop, the White Ravens 2025 catalogue aims to highlight the importance of free and accessible literature for young people. This year’s edition features 215 titles from 63 countries in 49 languages, including Kazakh and Uzbek for the first time. The selected works span picture books, novels, graphic novels, fairy tales, poetry, and non-fiction.

The books are chosen by the International Youth Library’s team of language specialists in collaboration with a global network of children’s literature experts. Selection criteria include literary and artistic quality, thematic relevance, originality, innovative approaches, and book design. Over the years, the catalogue has become a key reference for professionals seeking insights into trends and standout titles in international children’s publishing.

The 2025 edition features a cover illustration by acclaimed Norwegian artist Øyvind Torseter, whose works have appeared on the list seven times and have received major awards including the German Youth Literature Prize and the Bologna Ragazzi Award.

The full catalogue is available for free download, and detailed presentations of each book will be shared throughout the year on the project’s Instagram account, @thewhiteravens.books.