"The English Roses"
Another # 1 Madonna Hit- This time a Children's Book
The ANNOTICO Report

Angry children (some spoiled, some abused) are candidates to be "bullies",
(either physical, verbal or psychological).

Madonna, who since becoming a mother, seems to be less the outrageous and "material" girl, and more the concerned responsible woman, attempts to teach children to be kinder to each other.

She uses the theme of "the perfect looking lonely girl" doesn't really have it so great.
Well, I would have thought the "lonely" part would have been a great tip off! :)

I would have preferred that she use a theme of:
"If you think you are great"..Count your blessings,enjoy, and be modest!!
"If you think other people aren't so great"...How can you help them to be great??
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BOOKS
MADONNA IS A BIG HIT WITH KIDS TOO
Los Angeles Times
From staff and wire reports
September 27 2003

Madonna, 45, has another No. 1 hit, this time on the book charts, the Associate Press reports.

The singer's children's story, "The English Roses," was published simultaneously around the world Sept. 15 and will top the New York Times' children's list for the Oct. 5 edition.

"It demonstrates once again that Madonna has an extraordinary gift for communicating with children of all ages," Nicholas Callaway, chief executive of Callaway Arts & Entertainment, the book's U.S. publisher, said in a statement Thursday.

According to Nielsen Book- Scan, which tracks sales in the United States, Madonna's book sold 57,369 copies in its first full week, ranking No. 5 overall.

"The English Roses" has been a hit in the United Kingdom as well, where it sold more than 10,000 copies in its first week alone, getting close to the recent Harry Potter book.

The book, about four girls jealous of a popular schoolmate who get a magical glimpse into her depressing life, is based loosely on the mystical Kabbalah, the singer's religion.

calendarlive.com: Madonna is a big hit with kids too
http://www.calendarlive.com/books/
cl-et-quick27.2sep27,2,391807.story?coll=cl-calendar
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Madonna hangs up her material-girl cloak to teach children the importance of looking beyond a surface sheen. In The English Roses, the superstar's children's book debut, four little girls (the roses in question) "play the same games, read the same books, and like the same boys."

Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace all love to dance the monkey and the tickety-boo… and they all are horribly jealous of Binah, the perfect, beautiful, smart, kind girl who lives nearby. Even though they know Binah is lonely, she makes them sick.

They would say, "Let's pretend we don't see her when she walks by." And even, "Let's push her into the lake!" The pleasantly bossy narrator explains, "And that is what they did. No, silly, not the lake part, the pretending not to see her part."

One night, however, the four girls all have the same dream that sets them straight.
A fairy godmother sprinkles them with fairy dust and takes them to spy on Binah. When they see that she lives alone with her father, slaving away night and day at household chores, the four girly grumblers feel very sorry for her.

The fairy scolds them, "… in the future, you might think twice before grumbling that someone else has a better life than you." And they do.

This morality tale is nothing new under the sun, but it is cleverly told, with many teaspoonfuls of good humor. Jeffrey Fulvimari's illustrations are no less than stunning--filling every page with vivacious black ink lines and gorgeous watercolor reminiscent of 1960s fashion sketches.

Children will enjoy this "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" story that celebrates friendship as much as it teaches compassion. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson