Yet more English roses from Madonna

Madonna at a reading and book signing event for "Lotsa De Casha" in New York. Picture / Reuters

Madonna has produced five children's books in the past 18 months in a deal with Callaway Editions, and the fifth, Lotsa de Casha, was supposed to be her last.

But now she has decided to do a sequel about the tween girls who starred in her first book, The English Roses.

It is already written and illustrations are under way, she says. Madonna decided to revisit the girls who were jealous of a beautiful yet insecure classmate because it was the book closest to her heart, and is the favourite of her daughter Lola, she says.

"When I first started out I knew what the first book would be about, jealousy and envy, which I did in The English Roses. Girls can be especially hard on other girls," Madonna said.

Publisher Nicholas Callaway pointed out that The English Roses was on The New York Times' list of best-sellers for 18 weeks.

Lotsa de Casha has also made the Times' list, debuting at No 3.