[Literacy & Outreach] [Medical] [Special Needs] [Celebrities]

Educators throughout the country endorse The Jester & Pharley Phund for providing exciting ways to motivate students to expand their reading skills.

Educators also praise The Phund for enabling students to help ill and special-needs children.

"Our children now know that they can help others and feel good about it without receiving any sort of reward. The reward, of course, is iin improving their reading. This program helps to build character in our students, which so many times seem to be overlooked and taken for granted."
Christine C. Flannery, Principal, Victory Elementary, North Hollywood, CA

"The outreach component of your program has motivated many of our students to perform community service."
Joan Blair, principal of Nestle Elementary School, Tarzana, CA
"The Jester & Pharley Phund Literacy & Outreach Program provides a wonderful way for students to give back to the community."
Delia Gasco, Assistant Principal, Fifteenth Street Elementary, San Pedro, CA

"Our students don't often have the opportunity to help someone less fortunate than themselves. Reading for sick children whom they don't even know was an unfamiliar concept for them, but it gave them the opportunity to exhibit empathy and pride in a job well done."
Susan Balmanno, principal, Point Fermin Elementary, San Pedro, CA

"My professor required that I find a book that could be used in a classroom in more than just a language arts format. When I found 'The Jester,' I was so inspired by its message and the story behind the story that I was able to incorporate it into lessons for everything from history to math."
Heidi Bleitchman, Arts Teacher, Kennedy Middle School, Cupertino, CA

"This program reached far into the hearts of our kids and gave them an opportunity to demonstrate what a caring, compassionate person does for others."
Pam Sich, Librarian, Lincoln Elementary School, Long Beach, CA.

"The best part about this story is it is for every age group…this book is a must-have in a classroom."
Laurie Williams, Elementary Education Major, University of North Texas

"I choose books that enable children to understand others who are different than they are, books that reflect their own culture and books that expose them to moral and ethical values. I conduct workshops for literacy volunteers and teachers across the country. After I present ''The Jester Has Lost His Jingle' there is always unanimous agreement that it is the perfect read-aloud book."
Ellen Nathan, National Program Director
BookPALS of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Los Angeles, CA

" 'The Jester Has Lost His Jingle' has inspired the students. They have been cheerful, better friends to others, and have had a better attitude overall. David has taught all of us that each individual has the opportunity to make a difference in the world, beginning with ourselves first."
2nd Grade Teachers Alpert, Jacobs, Grant, Solana Vista School
Solana Beach, CA

"It is unusual for me to select a 'picture' book to read to my class, as fourth graders take great pride in reading 'chapter' books…They laughed and enjoyed the book so much. They marveled at themselves deriving such pleasure from a book void of chapters and filled with vivid illustrations".
Alex C. Seeple, 4th Grade Teacher, Frank C. Havens Elementary, Piedmont, CA

"When a book comes along that caters to children but is not condescending to them, it should be noticed. 'The Jester Has Lost Jingle' is a wondrous book that I not only read to my children but occasionally will read it to myself."
Thomas Kirkpatrick, The University of Iowa

"I am looking forward to sharing David's story every year with future students. I hope they will embrace your son's message with the same fervor as this year's students."
LeAnn Johnston, 2nd Grade Teacher, Chadbourn Elementary, Chadbourn, NC

"'The Jester' gives me feelings that are happy. If I am sad, I will read this book. It will cheer me up…I will always remember that the laughter is in us."
Bobbie, 2nd grader, Madison, OH