Common Sense Note
The ultimate obvious message in this book is positive though subtle suggestions are not. For one thing, the characters are skinny, "Twiggy-type" girls. Actually, even the boy characters look like models. The girls agree that "looks are not everything," but it is hard to believe that they mean it. Though this looks like a picture book, it is bigger and longer, and not a story for young children.
However, this books brings up many issues kids worry about. Families can talk about what their kids think of the English Roses: how they dress, how they talk, how they act with one another. Do they understand what the English Roses mean when they say "looks are not everything?" Do you think they really mean that? How important are looks to you? Do you relate more with Binah or the other girls? Who would make a better friend? Has a new kid ever joined your class? What happened? Did you try to include them in their activities? Did you and your friends fight over them? What would you do if your group excluded someone you liked? Have you ever been the new kid? If you felt excluded, how did you deal with the problem? Would you talk to your parents and teachers as Binah did?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Patricia Tauzer
In Madonna's first English Roses book, four 11-year-old girls in the English Roses clique became five after they get over their jealous gossiping. In this story, the quintet also learns a few lessons about jealousy, but this time it's over liking the same boy.
While the lessons the English Roses learn are quite pertinent and discussion-worthy for tween girls, the illustrations don't carry the same positive messages. The characters definitely promote a skinny-model girl image that is already too prevalent in today's media world. Also, by its very English Rose premise, the story seems to condone the idea of the snooty girl clique.
All in all this story is cleverly told and entertaining. Again Madonna employs the classical storytelling technique whereby the narrator interjects comments now and then that playfully chastise the reader. She has also developed several silly characters: the playful, eccentric teacher Mrs. Fluffernutter, the pumpernickel-eating fairy godmother, and the dancing Ferguson boys with their tongue-twisting names Timmy, Terry, Taffy, and Tricky.
As with previous books, Madonna donates all proceeds from this book to charity, this time to the orphan-care initiative.
From The Book
Dominic turned out to be an exchange student from Spain...He was kind of, well, perfect. Oops, there's that word again; that scary intimidating, impossible-to-live-up-to word: perfect.
The English Roses were in a constant state of competition with one another. They didn't do it on purpose. They didn't mean to like the same boy. They just couldn't help themselves.
Plot Summary:
The five English Roses, now including Binah after Madonna's first English Roses book, are great friends who still do everything together -- that is until new student Dominic de la Guardia joins their 5th grade classroom and jealousy among the girls rears its ugly head.
As Dominic begins to show more of an interest in Binah than in the other girls, the other girls begin snubbing Binah and leaving her out of their usual activities. The problem comes to a head as the class prepares to hold a school dance. However, the ingenuity of their teacher Miss Fluffernutter and the help of the fairy godmother pull things back together.
Related Books:
Other Books by Madonna
The English Roses
Mr. Peabody's Apples
The Adventures of Abdi
Yakov and the Seven Thieves
Lotsa de Casha
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Sexual ContentFive girls have a crush on the same boy. |
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Social BehaviorGirls look like models and are cliquey, but they learn to be kind. |
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