The National Book Foundation has announced the Longlist for the 2025 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The list includes four past finalists: Derrick Barnes, Kyle Lukoff, Amanda McBride, and Ibi Zoboi.

The 2025 Longlist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature:

María Dolores Águila, A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez. Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Publishers

K. Ancrum, The Corruption of Hollis Brown. HarperCollins/HarperCollins Publishers

Derrick Barnes, The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze. Viking Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House

Mahogany L. Browne, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe. Crown Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House

Kyle Lukoff, A World Worth Saving. Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House

Amber McBride, The Leaving Room. Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan Publishers

Daniel Nayeri, The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story. Levine Querido

Hannah V. Sawyerr, Truth Is. Amulet Books/Abrams

Maria van Lieshout, Song of a Blackbird. First Second/Macmillan Publishers

Ibi Zoboi, (S)Kin. Versify/HarperCollins Publishers

The five finalists will be revealed on Tuesday, October 7. Winners will be announced at the 76th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

Publishers submitted 325 books for the award. The judges are Cathy Berner, David Bowles (Chair), Candice Iloh, Jung Kim, and Maulik Pancholy.