Reading Metrics
Grade Level
Middle Grades (MG 4-8)
Book Level
4.3
Points
4.0
Fiction/Nonfiction
Fiction
Word Count
29596
Points per Word
0.000135
Page Count
129
Points per Page
0.031008
Description
When the Cherry Blossoms Fell by Jennifer Maruno follows nine-year-old Michiko Minagawa, a Japanese Canadian girl whose family is forced to relocate to an internment camp in rural British Columbia during World War II. After her father is exiled, Michiko must navigate the prejudices of her classmates while struggling to feel proud of her Japanese heritage in a time when the Canadian government treats all Japanese people as enemy aliens. The story explores the impact of wartime policies on Japanese Canadian families and one girl's journey to find identity amid displacement and discrimination.