This year, 38 employees across seven offices read to over 700 students as part of Jumpstart’s 19th anniversary of Read for the Record. The annual campaign celebrates the power of reading and supports early literacy by attempting to have most people read the same book on the same day.

On October 24, Franklin Templeton volunteers read Piper Chen Sings, by Phillipa Soo, Maris Pasquale Doran and illustrated by Qin Leng. The story is about a young girl who loves to express herself through singing but is struck with self-doubt and nervousness when asked to perform a solo in front of an audience. Piper tells her Nai Nai that she felt “like butterflies were having a dance party” in her belly; she doesn’t feel she can sing in front of others without making a mistake. Thankfully, Nai Nai teaches Piper that feeling butterflies means “something exciting was ahead” and that recognizing and welcoming that anxious feeling would help it pass. Nai Nai’s advice empowers Piper, who finds her voice on stage.

As a sponsor of Jumpstart, Franklin Templeton donated over 1,100 copies of the book to students and classrooms. 

Thank you to Franklin Templeton employees who read Piper Chen Sings with Jumpstart. Your excitement and love for Read for the Record enables the organization to connect children and adults in shared reading experiences around the world year after year.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.