As a young child, Phymean Noun dreamed of learning to read and write. But growing up during the Khmer Rouge reign of terror in Cambodia in the 1970s made that dream impossible.
Formal education was not only forbidden at that time but also could result in a death sentence. When the Khmer Rouge government was eventually overthrown, Phymean was finally able to go to school and fulfill the promise she made to herself as a young girl.
Years later, when Phymean was working in Phnom Penh, she met several unhoused and hungry child laborers who were unable to get an education because they had to work to feed their families. Like Phymean, their greatest dream was to go to school. Phymean knew she had to help. She left a stable job and salary behind to start the People Improvement Organization (PIO) in 2002, an NGO that educated, fed and also housed children in need. Since its founding, PIO has helped 8,000 children accomplish their dream of receiving an education.
Key Selling Points
• This SEL title introduces young readers to Phymean Noun, who built a school for Cambodian children living and working in a garbage dump. She became an education activist because as a young girl growing up under the Khmer Rouge government, going to school was illegal and Phymean didn't think she would ever learn to read and write.
• This book deals with topical issues including inequity, accessibility and poverty. Phymean's advocacy and activism meets several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including: quality education, good health and well-being, no poverty, zero hunger, reduced inequalities and decent work (and economic growth).
• Phymean's nonprofit the People Improvement Organization (PIO) helps 1,500 kids in Cambodia every year with education, healthcare and food.
• The author interviewed Phymean and members of her family for this book. She has also traveled to Cambodia to meet Phymean and was able to tour one of her schools.
• This manuscript was reviewed by Dr. Theara Thun, a Cambodian and Southeast Asian specialist at the University of Hong Kong. Susan Hughes writes both fiction and nonfiction books for kids and teens.
• This book is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
Part of the Orca Biography series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated nonfiction book introduces young readers to Phymean Noun and her mission to give Cambodian children living in poverty access to education.
Susan Hughes is a freelance editor, writer, story coach and the author of many books of fiction and nonfiction for kids and teens. Her books have received multiple nominations for awards, such as the Forest of Reading awards, the TD Children's Literature Awards, and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction. Susan lives in Toronto in a tall house with a red door.
Tida Kheav is a Cambodian Canadian illustrator based in Montreal. She grew up in Windsor, Ontario, where she spent much of her childhood buried in books or filling sketchbooks with whimsical characters and dreamy worlds. Today, she brings those worlds to life through both digital and traditional art-and sometimes clay, ceramics or watercolors, too! With a background in social work, she believes in the power of visual storytelling to connect, heal and spark imagination. When she's not drawing, she's probably baking something sweet or dreaming up her next adventure. What's in a name? Orca Biography introduces you to people you should know. Meet trailblazers, game changers and activists. They fight for equality, fairness and justice for everyone. Let them inspire you! "We want to go to school."
