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B&N Video Exclusive: See Madonna's thank you to Barnes & Noble customers (:46) and her Madonna's introduction to her five books. (3:14)
Q: You've said that although you'd envisioned yourself doing many things in your life, writing children's books was never one of them. Why did you decide to write a series of books for kids? And why now?
Madonna: For two reasons:
I have two children now, and they are a source of great inspiration for me.
I am on my own spiritual path and have learned a great many things. Among them is the importance of sharing and the desire to enlighten others. Children are naturally open and expansive, so I thought I would start sharing what I have learned with them first.
Q: You've described this [The English Roses] as a book about jealousy and envy and how these emotions cause so much unnecessary suffering in our lives. Was there anything in particular from your own experiences, as a child or an adult, which made this an especially relevant subject for you to explore?
Madonna: As a child I experienced jealousy and envy towards other girls for any number of reasons: I was jealous they had mothers, jealous they were prettier or richer. It isn't until you grow up that you realize what a waste of time those feelings are. I now, of course, experience the reverse, with people either being jealous of me and being unkind as a result, or little girls being jealous of my daughter and alienating her.
Q: You say your daughter was very helpful in the process of creating this book and in letting you know when it was finished. How so?
Madonna: She was very involved in the creative process. She told me when the story was boring. She asked for the girls to do particular activities (her favorite things to do) and she helped me choose illustrators.
Q:What were your favorite books when you were a child?
Madonna: The Giving Tree, Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Secret Garden.
Q: Is there a common theme that ties the five books together?
Madonna: Each book deals with issues that all children confront:
Uncertainty
Jealousy/Envy
Overcoming obstacles
Learning not to judge people
The power of our words
Hopefully there is a lesson in each book that will help kids turn painful or scary situations into learning experiences.
Q: In 1992, you shocked the literary world with your photo essay, Sex. This is clearly a publishing foray at the other end of the spectrum. What runs through your mind when you think of the journey you've traveled from then to now and the arc of your life that falls between these two very different literary projects? How have you changed?
Madonna: The journey I have traveled between my Sex book and now is too vast and complex to define in a few sentences. Suffice it to say that I see the world and my responsibility to it in a very different way.
Q: You've said most people think you've made a career out of doing the unexpected without, as you've said in earlier interviews, "thinking too deeply about the consequences." What changed for you that made you begin to think about the consequences of your actions?
Madonna: Having children set off a chain reaction of asking questions and looking for answers. I found answers when I began to study Kabbalah seven and a half years ago. I realized that there was, and continues to be, a reaction in the world to all of my words and my actions, good and bad. I felt the implications of personal and global Karma.
Q: You've achieved great success in so many different areas: as a savvy businesswoman and as an artist in music, videos, films, television, live performances, and so on. How was the experience of writing these children's books different from your experience preparing or a new album or video? And how does the satisfaction you feel from writing children's books differ from the satisfaction you've felt in those other arenas?
Madonna: Because I am donating all of my proceeds to charity, I knew when I began writing that every penny I earned would be used to help children. I was liberated, and my creativity was not motivated by ego or greed for the first time in my life.
Q: What's the most important lesson kids need to learn today about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness?
Madonna: The most important lesson kids can learn is that we all are connected to each other on a soul level and we need to learn to love and care for our fellow man, no matter what! That our thoughts, words, and actions really do affect other people around us. That changing the world starts with a thought. That love really does conquer all.
Anonymous
Posted April 19, 2008
This book is amazing it has everything a girl need from clique,to exclusion, to a girl's life!!! The whole series is amazing!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 20, 2008
I love this book! It is such a great experiance for young children like me! I can't wait to get my hands on the second book!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 10, 2007
Both my daughters enjoyed this book. And were excted to find out it was Madana 'the singer' who wrote it. They are ages 7 and 10. We will now try the others.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 9, 2007
I loved this book!It was so awesome!If you have a chance to buy this book go for It.I loved this book so so so so so so much.the so's go on forever!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 14, 2007
My daughter loved this book so much, as I believe she empathized with one of the characters. When she found out that Madonna had written more books, she immediately begged for all of them. English Roses is a very fun book, well illustrated which keeps young girls attention. More importantly, it teaches a great moral lesson about not judging a book by its cover. In today's society, cliques are a major problem for girls in grade schools and beyond. Many young girls are hurt emotionally by being excluded. This book made my daughter think a great deal about cliques in her school and how she should deal with the issue. That makes this a very valuable book. The School Counselor agreed so much she allowed us to purchase a copy to be placed permanently in the School Library. Thanks, Madonna!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 27, 2005
This story is a must for every classroom teacher! I use this book over and over to teach my students about character education and to discuss bullying and differences. I love the voice, pictures and ideas in this book! Way to go Madonna!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 1, 2005
I honestly can't understand how anyone could give this book 5 stars. The only good thing going for Madonna's books are the illustrations (not done by her). Her content is often shallow and, particularly in this book, cliquish. There is a reason it's unlikely they will receive the Newbury Award for Children's Literature.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 4, 2004
At first time I saw this book, I really love the illustration. It was very colorful and could catch children to eye on it. After I read, I found that Madonna was very good at being mom and writer from simple themes in the story, the importance of friendship and be satisfied of what you have and what you are. Moreover, she used a classic way of children¿s literature to give morals, a fairy God mother. I think moms should give their children this book in order to implant the greatest things of human being (as shown in the major themes) that has to live with other people in the society. Let¿s try it once, you will love it and your kids also.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2004
The story is not a only a tale for children but for adults as well .
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 13, 2004
bought this book for a gift, but I read it before I placed it in the giftbox. I love the pictures but even better the story. I felt that this book is a great addition to any children library. The pictures are really beautiful and the message is one in which every child can relate to. I couldn't believe that such a great book was written by the 'material girl'. Way to go Madonna, and I can not wait to read the next books in her series.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2004
I was not a Madonna fan, when she first came on the scene. I saw her on the Oprah show and really changed my 'tune'. I was VERY impressed with this lovely book, I bought it for my grand-daughter, who is 5, and now it is her favorite book to read when she visits. The moral to this story is so true, everyone should read and comprehend its tru meaning. I have now purchased the book about the boy and the apples, this one is for my grandsons. Thank you Madonna for a GREAT book
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 27, 2003
What a great book. I'm very excited about the series that Madonna is writing. I want to collect them all and give them to my granddaughters. The story is a good life lesson teacher and the illustrations are wonderful and different, turning to the next page is done with great anticipation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 8, 2003
I love this book a lot. It is so cool! I always wanted it. Since I have to have a new book for school and reading it out loud to the class, I have to get that book. That's why I need this book for reading it out loud to the class. I just love it!!!!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 4, 2003
No! No! No! Please no, I am glad that I had a boy and not a girl, is this what childrens books have become? Is this what were headed to? I could not find words to just, I don't know....SAY.....why I dont like this book, I think Polly Shulman puts it best: Its author aside, The English Roses is a dull little thing, though not incompetent. Madonna does understand the basic structure of storytelling¿perhaps too well. Cliché follows cliché. Her only unusual move is to tell the Cinderella story from the stepsisters' point of view. But she makes the jealous meanies so passive that they might as well be good: All they really do is respond to lectures about virtue. They're not out there twisting anyone's hair. And the central lesson is muddled and implausible. For one thing, judging by the sugary pictures, Binah is barely distinguishable from the original four Roses¿except for hair color, skin color, and eye color, they're identical: all skinny and chicly dressed, with almond-shaped eyes and no noses. It's hard to imagine what the other four see to envy in Binah. In any case, Madonna's answer is not to show that envy is bad but to suggest that people who look as though they have it all are secretly miserable. What about pretty, lucky little girls whose fathers don't neglect them and make them scale fish¿is it OK to ostracize them? In my experience, pretty little girls have plenty of friends. Other girls might envy them, but they seek them out anyway, hoping (perhaps) that the pretty will rub off on them. Madonna's publishers must be banking on this very phenomenon¿otherwise, why would they have published this book?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 18, 2003
Being a grandmother, I must admit I wasn't sure about this book for my children, so I bought it and read it before passing on to my grandchildren. I LOVED THE BOOK... I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed with the lesson. I am now buying the next and will continue to buy all her children books. Thank you Madonna for a lesson in judging a book by its cover.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 11, 2003
I bought this for my 6 year old daughter. IT is so worth it for any mom trying to convey in words that you never know what is happening in someone else's life. I look forward to buying the series for my daughter. Well done Madonna. You have written a timeless story
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 11, 2003
Madonna really changed my opion on these kind of books. She stood up to the world and showed what she could do! She can so anything now and I am so proud! I can't wait to read other books of hers! I felt like a new person after reading this book. If you read it, I know you will too! My heart has gone into this book and will never fall out. I'm planning to give it to my niece! I loved this book, I hope you do to! I give this book a five star review!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 8, 2003
Read this with my six-year-old at the doctors' office last week. It is right out of the 'politically correct handbook'. My daughter, who loves reading, hasn't mentioned it once since then.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 10, 2003
I have 8 grandchildren, 4 boys and 4 girls. I want all my girls to have this book. It is fabulous, the artwork is wonderful, the story a little over their heads for now, but a good life lesson to learn about. Good Job Madonna..
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 31, 2010
Those are good books my favorite are the big ones. All these girls are like fighting over boys all the time. I love them they are by my favorite singer, Madonna. They can get in fights like real life friends and they talk about the differences they have and how they come to terms with being friends together. I love this series and you will too. There are lots of books in the series but I read them quickly because they are fun and entertaining. You will like to read these books- give it a try!
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Overview
The English Roses is a story of rivalry and friendship among schoolgirls in contemporary London. Four little girls-Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace-are eleven years old and the very best of friends. They have sleepovers, picnics and ice-skating parties that exclude Binah, a beautiful girl whose seemingly perfect life makes them "green with envy." However, when a feisty, pumpernickel-loving fairy godmother takes them on a magical journey, they learn to their great surprise that Binah's life is not nearly as enviable as it had seemed. The English Roses is an inspiring story about the importance of compassion and the rewards of friendship.B&N Video Exclusive: See...