The Dream of an Education: How Phymean Noun Built a School

Illustrated by Tida Kheav

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.

Published by Orca Book Publishers

ISBN-13‏: ‎ 9781459842427

What the Reviewers Say

“As a young girl, Phymean Noun dreams of going to school—a dream that cannot be fulfilled as she grows up under the Khmer Rouge reign of terror in Cambodia during the 1970s … Through Noun’s inspirational life story, Hughes and Kheav present a part of history that many readers are unlikely to know. An intriguing and informative biography of seldom-covered Cambodian history, formatted for middle-grade readers.”

--School Library Journal

Awards and Nominations

Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection, 2026; commended