Madonna: Busy Day in the U.K.

Madonna read to a class [click here for video] of tots from St. Winifred’s Catholic Junior School in south London from her new children’s book, The Adventures of Abdi – note her peculiar mid-Atlantic accent after hanging out on that side of the pond for the last several years, although she still has a hard time figuring out what the hell the kids are saying. I like the demure look – at 46, that’s the right her.

Anyway, Abdi is the fourth book in a five-book children’s series Madonna has penned for Callaway Editions: The English Roses, Mr. Peabody’s Apples and Yakov and the Seven Thieves. Lotsa de Casha (now THAT’S a subject she understands) is due for release next summer.

Earlier yesterday, hundreds of fans lined up for as much as 24 hours outside central London bookstore Selfridges, where Madonna did another reading and signed copies of Abdi, but only the first 250 got in. Here’s the semi-frantic message on the company website:

Madonna Personal Appearance – 11 November 3pm

Due to overwhelming interest in this event, queuing will now take place outside on Edward Mews at the rear of the store.

Numbered tickets will be issued at 1pm.

Books will be sold beside this entrance from 1pm to those people in possession of a ticket.

Only those customers in possession of a numbered ticket AND a till receipt for the book will be permitted to join the queue on level 2 from 2.30pm.

Books are limited to just 250 copies therefore only ONE book per csutomer may be purchased.

Only those customers actually in possession of the ticket and receipt will be invited to meet Madonna.

Children under 10 may be accompanied by ONE adult only.

Selfridges regret that due to the restriction on number of books sold there will inevitably be disappointed customers but would like to thankyou for your interest and your understanding.

(click pic for video)

And to top off Madge’s very busy day, she was inducted into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame at the inaugural ceremony along with Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Bob Marley and U2 as “founding members.” They were selected by a 36-member steering committee of artists, executives, broadcasters and reporters.

The UK Hall of Fame fetes the former Material Girl thusly:

Probably the foremost female musician of our lifetime, Madonna is the personification of Girl Power. A singer, dancer, songwriter, choreographer, actress and novelist, for many she’s the ultimate icon…

Born in Michigan in 1958 Madonna started out as a dancer. After success with the 1982 club hit Everybody she released Holiday in 1984. It became a worldwide hit and started an extraordinary career. The queen of reinvention, Madonna’s business sense and staying power have made her an international heroine.

The (rather odd) winners by decade (voted on by the public) are listed here. Those crazy Brits.

UPDATE
A keenly observant reader has suggested that Madonna might fit very well into the flourishing group of Mean and Horny women along with Liza Minnelli and Courtney Love.

Well, there is no doubt about the horniness certainly, although since getting remarried and popping out a couple of puppies, she has toned down the displays of public lewdness. But is she mean enough?

She was quite mean to Kevin Costner in the classic concert documentary Truth Or Dare after he dared to call her show “neat,” but that was 1990 and in 2001 she publicly apologized:

when Costner’s kids begged to see Madonna’s LA concert he bought tickets. Madonna spotted his name on the V.I.P. list and stunned him by dedicating the song ‘Secret’ to him onstage. After the show, Madonna invited him to her dressing room, gushed over his kids — and apologized for her nauseating behavior.

Plus, to my knowledge, she has never been accused of beating the hell out of anyone. Horny, yes, but Madonna just isn’t mean enough to join the club.