Lima Abe
Beginning in 2006, Sakura Medal has been a method for international schools across Japan to connect over reading books from different genres and categories. Currently, there are 8 categories in total spanning two different languages, those of which include picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels. A new selection of Sakura Medal books, both new and old, are released annually, and are chosen by librarians from numerous international schools across Japan.
While the Sakura Medal includes books about Japan (or with a Japanese influence) every year, there are also books which are selected that contain a broad range of genres and cultures from authors of different backgrounds. This diverse selection of books and authors provides readers of any age and any genre with books they could enjoy, and is also an opportunity for people to discover and read books from numerous different genres and categories. The nominees for the highschool category in Sakura Medal this year include science fiction novels such as Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, fantasy novels such as The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, mystery novels such as The Cousins by Karen M. McManus, and numerous books from other genres, such as contemporary fiction.
Towards the end of the school year, anyone who has read 5 or more books out of a single category gets to cast a vote for their favorite book out of the books they have read. Furthermore, in the case that you have read more than 5 books, you can receive an additional vote for every 5 additional books read. Once the votes are casted, the results from each school taking part in the Sakura Medal are totaled together to determine the winning book in each category for the year. This year, the winning book in the highschool english fiction category voted by the readers of the Sakura Medal Books across numerous international schools was Alex Michaelides’s renowned psychological thriller, The Silent Patient. Some of the winners in other categories include Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau in the graphic novel category, Star Fish by Lisa Fipps for the chapter book category, and When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler in the middle school category.
On the 21st of April, there was a Sakura Medal celebration, in which the students who took part in the Sakura Medal reading program gathered together to discuss their reading and voted for their favorite book out of the books they had read. The gathering took place in the Cougar Cafe terrace, and included participants from both high school and middle school and was a memorable experience to everyone involved in the event.
In order to understand the importance and impactfulness of the Sakura Medal, I interviewed a highschool student who participated in the event. When asked about the organization of the event, the student states that they believe that the event is “set up very well” as “it’s easy to access and find the books in the library, so it makes [them] more inclined to read them.” Furthermore, when inquired about the potential benefits of the Sakura Medal, the student responded, “I believe the Sakura Medal books can benefit the students by broadening their literary horizons. By reading Sakura Medal books, students are able to read a wide range of authors and genres, which aids in their understanding of the world.”
For those interested in the Sakura Medal, additional information regarding the event may be found on the Saint Maur library blog and on the official Sakura Medal website. As the Sakura Medal is an annual program, I highly encourage everyone to take advantage of the event to broaden their perspectives through a wide variety of books, and to take a look at the new selection of books which are available beginning towards the middle of the 1st semester every school year.
Lima Abe