Teen dance prodigy, breakout Dance Moms star , and judge on So You Think You Can The Next Generation presents her uplifting coming-of-age memoir about following her dreams and working hard to achieve success in both the dance world and in life.
Maddie Ziegler had hoped to become a star—she just didn’t know how soon that day would come. At just eight years old, she was cast on Lifetime’s hit reality show Dance Moms and quickly won the hearts of fans everywhere with her natural talent and determination. Soon, she was catching eyes all over—including those of pop superstar Sia, who handpicked her to star in the incredibly popular music video “Chandelier.” The rest, as they say, was history.
In this inspirational memoir, Maddie explains the hard work she put into her rise to stardom and how she keeps her balance along the way—starring in music videos, going on tour, and becoming an actress in The Book of Henry with Naomi Watts and Jacob Tremblay. She also answers her fans’ burning questions with wise advice she’s learned on her journey. With honesty, charm, and humor, Maddie offers her unique perspective on making her way in the world as a young teenager, reflecting on the lessons she’s learned—and preparing for the exciting road ahead.
Madison Nicole Ziegler, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 30, 2002, is a professional dancer and actress. She was one of the stars of Lifetime’s Dance Moms for six seasons, and was the lead dancer in Sia’s critically acclaimed music videos “Chandelier,” “Elastic Heart,” and “Big Girls Cry.” Maddie is a judge on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation and stars in the film The Book of Henry.
I am a huge dance moms fan so I thought this would be fun to read.
If I were 14 I would have enjoyed this so much more and would have thought of Maddie as a role model. And I think she's a good one for young people, her work ethic and drive are impressive.
As an adult I felt it was lacking in substance; I didn't learn anything new. But it was a fun quick read.
1. I read the book in one day. Is it the greatest literary tome of our time? No. But I love Dance Moms, so it was fun to read a book by one of the dancers. 2. I thought the in between sections moved the story alone nicely. (Dear Maddie, notes from her friends and family, and Today is a Beautiful Day To...) 3. The Dear Maddie section seemed a little fake. Were those actual teens asking for advice and was that actually Maddie writing the advice? Either way, I thought the answers were level headed and helpful. 4. Always love a non fiction book with pictures! 5. My favorite thing was in the introduction when Maddie said, "Why not? Why not do something that you've never done before? Why not dream big? Why not stand up for things you believe in? Sometimes you have to take a big, scary leap, and that's okay. Even if you fall on your butt, you've still soared." As an adult, I feel like we tend to hold back more than kids. We see all of the things that could go wrong, we have fear and doubt, we have other people in our lives that are riding on the good and bad decisions that we make. Sometimes we need this childlike thought of, "Why not?" 6. I hope she always keeps the humbleness that she exudes.
Dance Moms is my guilty pleasure and I am a total fan girl when it comes to the show and the girls on the show. It does not matter that I am much older, I still just enjoyed the show. I was so excited when this arrived in the mail today (thank you Gallery Books) that I immediately started to read it.
I am giving this around 3.5/3.75 stars.
I am not a huge fan of non-fiction, but I flew through this and finished it in only a few hours. It was a very easy and fast paced read. It did seem to jump around a little bit and had random things thrown in, but it still was pretty good. I definitively think fans of the show or Maddie will still enjoy it. I also think this is perfect for younger teens.
I really liked the personal touches throughout this book. There are small doodles from Maddie and pictures from her being a small child up until now. These were nice touches. The message throughout this whole book is pretty positive, and I think Maddie really shows her pride in being a positive role model for her peers.
I also liked the letters from others who know and have worked with her. I personally did not care for the Dear Maddie sections and could have done without these. However; I love the Today is a Beautiful Day entries.
I enjoyed that the other girls from the show are mentioned, especially Kenzie which you would expect since she is Maddie's sister. I liked learning a little more about her. But, there really is not much at all about Dance Mom's in itself in this book which was a little disappointing. There was not even a mention of Abby (the ALDC was mentioned), and I feel a chapter should have focused on Abby and Maddie's relationship. It did include information about Maddie and her past accomplishments: a little about Dance Moms and the dances from the show; Sia; her fashion line; SYTYCD and upcoming projects.
Overall, I did enjoy this but I was hoping for a little more. I am still glad I had the chance to read this and I look forward to seeing what else Maddie does in the future.
I'm a young adult reading this and it really brought me back to the highlights of my childhood! When I was her age (well, the age she wrote this), I was watching her on TV every week with my bestfriend after school! It is so amazing that she has her own memoir with tons of personality and is accomplishing so much! I'm so proud of Maddie 💜
AHHHH SUCH A CUTE BOOK! This was so nice! I learned so much about Maddie and her friends/family that I did not know before. Although this book is mostly targeted towards tweens, or early teenagers, I am glad I read it anyways.
Maddie is a knock out; she is a golden girl who inspires people of all ages to be just as hard-working and passionate as she. Can't wait to see her perform at Sia this week!
The Maddie Diaries: a memoir is about a dancer/actor and her rise to fame and fortune. Maddie an eight year old girl was living a normal life, dancing three times a week with a private class on Saturday. One day a T.V producer from Lifetime saw potential in her run-down Pittsburg studio with a demanding teacher that wanted a dance team that would win everything they did. Soon after a new T.V show appeared on Lifetime with the title “Dance Moms”. In the T.V show she was pictured as the favorite and the best. As Dance Moms gained more following the more well known Maddie was. Sia, an australian popstar chose Maddie to star in her next music video.
I liked this book but the writing style switched around and she also wrote in any abbreviations. I rated this book three stars because of her writing style and it was sometimes hard to follow. Overall the book was enjoyable.
I watched Dance Moms a few times years ago and I've seen Sia's videos but I'm definitely not a die-hard Maddie fan. That being said, I kept seeing this book pop up on goodreads and decided to give it a shot. Honestly, I wish I didn't. This would have been a DNF for me if I wasn't so darn stubborn.
A lot of the book came off as a spoiled brat bragging about her life. Even the times when she tried to sound down-to-earth and like a regular kid. I especially hated the "Dear Maddie" sections that seemed so contrived. Also, some chapters are written by other people about Maddie. These chapters were pretty annoying too, but that could be partly due to the narrator of these chapters as her expression was weird.
I would not recommend this book but, then again, I wasn't really the intended audience in the first place.
Needed a new audiobook & this was available..Considering there was a section about how to convince your mom to let you go to mall with your friends I definitely wasn’t the intended audience. But if I was 10 years old, I would have loved it.
An AMAZING book on Maddie’s part. I absolutely loved this book! It was a great read; I loved all of the photos! Another thing I loved is how It really felt like I was both inside Maddie’s head and reading her diary at the same time! It was so cool! (Right now you are probably saying: ‘woah, you used WAY to manny !!! So far!’ And if you are saying that, you are totes right so I’m gonna slow down with those now) I would read this again any time; I have read this like 5 times and I am STILL not tired of it! I don’t think anyone could EVER get tired of this book... can they?
A great memoir, and a must read for any middle aged child-person! Loved it!
I thought this book was so good. It's cool to see the other side of her rather than just seeing her on dance moms. I think the idea she was trying to get across was that you have to always follow your dreams and also the things that you never thought you could ever do could come to reality.
***Spoilers included*** Well, since it’s “written” by a young adult, I can’t be too critical (even though I know her mother at least probably guided her through parts…she mentions Candid Camera, after all, which was even before my time…), but it is a disappointment for a Dance Moms fan. This book could be subtitled “A tribute to Sia,” “Maddie knows best,” or “Why Maddie is so amazing.” My reasoning is as follows: Maddie and Sia are mutually obsessed with each other. Maddie travels with Sia, hangs out with Sia and her “hubby”/dogs, and quotes her songs to readers for inspirational advice. Ok, that makes sense. Any fourteen-year-old who is befriended by a pop star would feel the same. But Sia’s obsession is a little disturbing to an adult reader: “So after the video I decided I never wanted to do anything without her” (VIII). Sia dresses Maddie like her, talks to her daily, and would adopt Maddie if “she didn’t have such a great family.” It’s apparently fine in this situation, but everyone also thought it was innocent when young males were invited to Neverland Ranch! Sure, I’m sure everything is actually normal…as normal as it can be when a grown adult identifies most with a child…Also, though Sia gets her own chapter, she also permeates the book. Maddie knows best: I wasn’t prepared for the weird advice column where people are asking Maddie for advice on bullying, family issues, and emotional insecurities. Who wrote these questions?! Did Melissa make them up and coach Maddie through politically correct/mature responses? If kids actually wrote them, how were they solicited?! I can’t imagine Maddie gets heavy questions such as these on a regular basis. Also, I get that she’s presented as “wise beyond her years,” but not once does she tell people to get the help they need! Maddie can save everyone! Why Maddie is so amazing: There are narratives from friends and coworkers gushing about her all over the book. Sure, it does bolster her ethos, but even Mackenzie has to exalt her sister, which I can only imagine will affect her psyche in the future. What I learned: Apparently there are dolls made of them. WHY?! Maddie really likes make up. Maddie still pretends like she knows how to handle school situations even though she’s been homeschooled for years. The producers (was Abby a producer) chose the themes of most dances on the show. Maddie seems to be easily influenced by the adults she’s around. She apparently wants to be an actress now (and I saw The Book of Henry and would advise some more coaching before she makes that decision…) and be in more music videos (I’m sure she would love to sing with Sia if she could carry a tune…), but she used to want to be on Broadway or be a Rockette, which would have required more actual skill and were obviously influenced by Abby. I hope that she searches more within herself as she matures. It’s sad that her original dreams that required more effort are dubbed “little girl” dreams now and the ones that are more attainable are more set “in reality” (215) Maddie was never that great of a dancer skill-wise and Gianna even admits it! I guess it’s inspirational to kids who aren’t naturally good at something to work harder, but I have a hard to believing it since she won so many competitions. Maddie could write fortune cookie notes as a side hustle. The chapters are filled with advice such as “Today is a great day too…” Paint! Mix patterns! Eat something new! Now, that’s advice from a fourteen-year-old that is appropriate! Paige and Brooke apparently don't exist in Maddie’s word anymore even though they were present when Melissa got married to the step dad… Maddie grew up so fast. It seems like she was always expected to be a “little mother” for Mackenzie and is already nostalgic for her childhood at fourteen. Kids are obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy and I don’t understand why. Aren’t there any good teen shows out there?! The biggest disappointment was the lack of Abby. Maybe Abby declined being in the book, but it reads as a snub. Her company, teaching, and choreography are replaced by blanket statements of “dance studios, producers, and Gianna.” As a teacher, I can’t imagine the pain of having someone you invested so much in give you absolutely no credit. Hopefully, once Maddie gets out of Melissa’s helicopter parenting, she’ll write a real tell-all for us with actual insider information. Also, I don’t believe that Maddie has never seen an episode of Dance Moms!
Not so much a biography as a collection of random topics deemed suitable for a 14-year old dancer to talk about. If I were a pre-teen girl, I probably would have enjoyed this a lot. Being a fan of Dance Moms just isn't enough to find this book interesting, there isn't really anything new you didn't already know. I skipped the fashion and make up -tutorials all together, not relevant or interesting to me but again, might be to a teen. At times, this book reads like a commercial for Maddie and all the projects she has going on. Some parts read a bit too edited as well, like the advice Maddie gives. Most of it sounds like the advice your parents would give, not advice a fourteen year old girl would give. Then again, they say she is mature beyond her years.
Despite the fact that this book hardly has much literary merit, it is an entertaining read and definitely for young girls who love Dance Moms or Maddie Ziegler. One thing I really liked about this book is its emphasis on positivity and hard work -sure, Maddie Ziegler was hardly a starving child from a poor neighbourhood who rose to fame by accident, she was intentionally made, but other kids can still benefit from crazy ideas like work hard and be grateful for what you have.
Honestly really good! I am not usually into Biographies, but this is so different, and so good! I recommend. Maddie talks about friendships, makeup, fashion, dance moms etc! I recommend
Okay, this is a book and I read it. Therefore, I'm going to put it in my read books, even if it's a little embarrassing.
I absolutely have to get to sleep (yay for waking up tomorrow at 5am in order to be able to do more Econ and hopefully pass). So in general, I'm definitely not the target audience for this book, both in terms of age and of gender. Still, it was interesting to suddenly remember what being a tween is like.
I mean, I've been so swept up in this adult life, it's suddenly so bizarre to remember what it felt like to get into dumb fights with my siblings or to feel like my looks matter. This book made me nostalgic but also just grateful cause wow, I'm so glad I'm not at this point in my life anymore.
There isn't much to say about this book. I realize that I don't wear make up and also have short hair but still, I felt like the hair and make up parts were not really very relevant. It's weird to explain how to do hair with words alone.
Ultimately, this was a nice read. I wanted something easy and chill for the weekend and this was it. I think deep down I had hoped for something juicier and more personal but yeah, I realize that's not what this book had intended to be.
what I'm taking with me - Abby literally does not get mentioned here, which is surprising. - I mean, she mentioned that she held koalas in Australia more times than she mentions Abby. - Sia seems very cool. - I didn't realize Maddie had reached this level of celebrity
The book The Maddie Diaries: A Memoir was a good book because Maddie a past dancer on Dance Moms shares the ups and downs in her life while being a dance student dancing three times a week with a private class on Saturday. Maddie had thought that life before being on Dance Moms was better because she got to spend more time with her friends and life was not as stressful as it is while she is dancing. I liked this book because I am a fan of Maddie Ziegler and Maddie inspires me. I also enjoyed this book because I am a dancer and can relate to how dance is a lot of work. I would recommend this book to people that are fans of Maddie Ziegler or people that can relate to her life.
This book is interesting to read since I follow Maddie. She wrote this book when she about 15 and she’s matured a lot. However, she put together a very “cute” and “fun” formatted book filled with bits of advice, tips, answering fan questions, and letters from people close to her, and personal images. It’s great if you’d like a quick read that relaxes you and introduces a sweet teenager that we never saw on her show.
I seem to enjoy books with depth and stories to follow. This book, on the other hand, is very much a light hearted read targeted towards a younger audience. Personally, I would recommend this as a great read for young aspiring dancers or young tweens entering their teenage years as the book is formatted as compiled journal entries that speak on fashion, style, experiences, and advice.
Perhaps it is unfair of me to have expected more from a 14 year old, but this book was pretty awful. I give it two stars purely because of the Dance Moms element, because it is one of my favorite reality shows ever. That said, when Ziegler leaves the narrative and story parts about her actual life out and delves into the truly mundane crap about make up and boys and generic fan mail advice, my eyes glazed over and I died a little inside. Clearly, I am not the target demographic for this book, but the inside stories about the entertainment industry were amusing, and the photos were great.
I <3 Dance Moms, and so this book was a perfect read for me. I am a big fan of Maddie and Kenzie, and I found her book really inspirational. Maddie’s life is so interesting and I loved all of her tips. I recommend for a teen/tween audience. I would have liked a bit more about Dance Moms, and maybe a bit less about Sia, though I understand that her work with Sia is a big part of her life so I respect her decision to include so much. Overall this is a great book, and I am so excited to see Mackenzie’s when it is published!
This book was ALL OVER THE PLACE. While she's understandably young, it seems that a good editor should have been able to help better organize these thoughts. Additionally, there are several pieces included in this book about Maddie written by other people close to her. Ultimately, this reads like a repetitive praise fest. While I know I'm above the intended audience age, I was expecting more of a memoir and less of the disorganized structure that's here. If it had been more of a memoir, I would have rated this higher.
Dance Moms is my ultimate guilty pleasure tv show, I’ve never missed an episode, when it was in its prime I was completely obsessed, I loved all the drama.
When I saw this at the library I thought I’d give it a go because Maddie always seemed like the 1 girl who had her head screwed on, she had a maturity that shined through all the nonsense going on, and it really shows once again in this book.
I know this book is aimed at teenage girls and that I’m totally outside the targeted demographic, but I actually got a kick out of reading it. All the juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits about Dance Moms had me gagging. Maddie is very switched on young woman, she’s a great role model for teenagers, she’s going to be a huge star one day.
Funny when I picked this up I didn't immediately remember who Maddie was by name. As I was reading though I immediately remembered her being in So You Think You Can Dance: TNG! It was really cool to hear about her life from her and hear about her aspirations and the things she has already accomplished. I look forward to seeing what she does in her future as she is definitely extremely talented. This book does feel like a bit of a money grab though like there is not too much too it. Okay Read overall!