Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms, which are celebrated in Japan each year as a sign of Spring.
The Sakura Medal reading program brings together students from international schools across Japan each year to vote for their favourite books. www.sakuramedal.com.
Each year, librarians from various international schools meet and select 25-30 books in each of the Sakura Medal categories (Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle School, High School, Japanese Picture Books, Japanese Chapter Books, Japanese Middle School, and Japanese High School).
Books are chosen that are no more than two years old and that are from a variety of backgrounds and across a wide range of reading abilities.
Students who read five books (four for Middle School and three for High School books) in any category will be eligible to vote for their favourite book. Votes will then be tallied across all participating schools and the winning author in each category will receive a Sakura Medal.
Aribella has been nominated in the Chapter Books Plus category.
