About This Book
Reach for this book when your middle-grade reader is asking difficult questions about global news or struggling to understand why people flee their homes during war. Wild Poppies offers a deeply humanizing look at the Syrian conflict through the eyes of two brothers, Omar and Sufyan, who are navigating life in a refugee camp. The story explores the heavy weights of responsibility, the lure of extremist groups for vulnerable youth, and the quiet bravery found in books and brotherhood. While the setting is intense, the emotional core focuses on the bond between siblings and the resilience required to maintain hope when everything familiar is gone. It is a powerful tool for developing empathy and discussing the complex realities of modern displacement. Because it touches on child recruitment by militant groups, it is best suited for mature readers aged 10 to 14 who are ready to engage with serious real-world themes.
