Sakura+Medal

=**The Sakura Medal 2011**=

**A book award program held at International School Libraries throughout Japan**
=Please visit []= =﻿A Sakura Medal Blog for students=

The Sakura Medal is a reading program designed to encourage reading and enjoyment of good quality books. It was initiated in the 2005-2006 school year for students in participating International Schools across Japan. Students read books from short lists prepared by library media specialists in the participating schools and voted in April 2006 for a winner. The winning author received the Sakura medal and a diploma containing a certificate and a piece of original art. There was a student art competition for the design of the diploma art. **The participating schools in 2010-2011** The American School in Japan The British School in Tokyo [|Canadian Academy] [|Canadian International School Tokyo] [|Christian Academy in Japan] [|Hiroshima International School] [|Hokkaido International School] [|International School of the Sacred Heart] Makuhari International School [|The Montessori School of Tokyo] [|Nagoya International School] [|Nishimachi International School] [|Osaka International School] [|St. Mary’s International School] [|Saint Maur International School] [|Seisen International School] [|Tokyo International School] [|Yokohama International School]

[|Past Winners]
Picture Books: The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg Chapter Books: Sisters of the Sword by Maya Snow Middle School: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins High School: Numbers by David A. Poulsen Japanese Picture Books: 100かいだてのいえ by 岩井 俊雄 Japanese Intermediate (tie):ナニワのMANZAIプリンセス (ノベルズ・エクスプレス) by 荒井 寛子 and は なこ 八月七日にひろったこねこ by// なりゆき わかこ// Japanese Middle/High School: 告白 by 湊 かなえ Picture Books: [|Penguin by Polly Dunbar] Chapter Books: [|The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch] Middle School: [|Unwind by Neal Shusterman] High School: [|The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss] Japanese Picture Books: [|ふしぎなでまえ (Fushigi na demae) by かがくい ひろし (Hiroshi Kagakui)] Japanese Middle/High School: 夢をかなえるゾウ (Yume o kanaeru zo) by 水野敬也 (Keiya Mizuno) Picture Books: Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen & Kevin Hawkes Chapter Books: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick Middle School: Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie High School: Fire Storm by David Klass Japanese Picture Books: Japanese Middle/High School: 獣の奏者 by 上橋　菜穂子 Picture Books: Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear by Matt Dray Chapter Books: Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith Middle School: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore High School: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Japanese High School: 佐賀のがばいばあちゃん by 島田 洋七 Picture Books: Mystery at the Club Sandwich by Doug Cushman Chapter Books: Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke Middle School / High School: Arkangel by Anthony Horowitz Japanese High School: Koufukuna Shokutaku by Maiko Seo
 * 2010**
 * 2009**
 * 2008**
 * 2007**
 * 2006**

**There are eight separate categories for 2010-2011:** || [|English Picture Books] ||
 * [|Japanese Picture Books] ||
 * [|English Chapter Books] ||
 * [|Japanese Chapter Books] ||
 * [|Japanese Middle School Books] ||
 * [|English Middle School Books] ||
 * [|Japanese High School Books] ||
 * [|English High School Books] ||

The most important aspect of this program is that it encourages students to read quality books for fun. Although designed and initiated by teacher-librarians, this program is intended to involve all participants in the educational community: classroom teachers, administrators, librarians, and of course parents.