Madonnaturns to writing

PARIS -- Material Girl no more? Madonna says writing children's books is more fulfilling than being a pop chart queen or a movie star.\nHer book, "The English Roses," went on sale Monday, appearing in 100 countries and in 30 languages as the first in her series of five tales for children.\nThe pop diva, whose only book until now was the racy 1992 photo essay titled "Sex," said she wrote the books to teach children some of the life lessons she's learned over the years.\n"The most fun that I've had of all the things I've done creatively has been to write these books," she told reporters in Paris, where the book's 32 publishers were gathered.\n"A lot of it has to do with the fact I'm not doing it to become more famous, and I'm not doing it to become richer. I'm not doing it because I think it's cool," Madonna said. "I'm doing it because I want to share something I know with children."\nHours after its release, the 48-page book was already No. 8 on Amazon.com's sales list. The initial print run is 1 million copies worldwide, with more than 750,000 in the United States, publisher Callaway Editions said. Proceeds will go to charity.\n"The English Roses" is about a friendship shared by four girls and their mutual envy of a beautiful classmate, with illustrations by fashion artist Jeffrey Fulvimari.\nThe inspiration for the five books' coming editions will focus on sharing, accepting mistakes and other themes came from her study of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, she said.