First They Killed My Father

• Genre: Nonfiction; Memoir; Historical
• Originally Published: 2000
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 920L; Grades 9-12; College/Adult
• Structure/Length: Approximate 238 pages; approximately 9 hours, 39 minutes on audiobook
• Central Concern: This memoir recounts the harrowing experiences of Loung Ung during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. As a young girl, Ung witnesses the horrors of war and the death of family members while struggling to survive amidst starvation, forced labor, and violence.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Graphic depictions of violence, warfare, and genocide; themes of loss and trauma; child suffering; sexual assault

Loung Ung, Author

• Bio: Born 1970; Cambodian American human rights activist and lecturer; survivor of the Pol Pot regime; campaigns against landmines in Cambodia; serves as a spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World
• Other Works: Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind (2005); Lulu in the Sky: A Daughter of Cambodia Finds Love, Healing, and Double Happiness (2012)
• Awards: Asian/Pacific American Librarians’ Association Award for Excellence in Adult Non-fiction Literature (2001); American Library Association’s Award for Best Book for Young Adults (2001)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• How Young People Cope with Survival
• How the Government Justifies Genocide
• The Strength of Familial Love in Wartime

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will: