Madonna may have made headlines for her controversial adoption of David, a baby boy she met while helping build an orphan care center in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world. But the unfortunate side effect of that media maelstrom is that it may have detracted from the good she is trying to do in a country suffering from famine, poverty, drought and diseases like AIDS, hepatitis and malaria.

photo is by Gilles Bensimon

As part of her efforts on behalf of the kids of Malawi, Madonna is donating all of the proceeds from her new book to Raising Malawi, an orphan care initiative. In support of the charity, Madonna's publisher, Callaway Arts & Entertainment, published a limited edition of the book in Chichewa, the official language of Malawi, which Madonna distributed to Malawian children during a November, 2006 visit there.

New Book Follows Up on Her First
Madonna's new book is The English Roses: Too Good to Be True, a sequel to her 2003 best-seller, The English Roses, which made publishing history when it was published simultaneously in 30 languages in more than 100 countries. It became the fastest-selling children's book written by a first-time author and stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for 18 weeks. The English Roses is now available in 40 languages, and the four books that followed it - Mr. Peabody's Apples, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, The Adventures of Abdi and Lotsa de Casha - are also worldwide bestsellers.

The English Roses: Too Good to Be True follows up on the story of five girls - Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, Grace and Binah - who are best friends. Yet even best friends can have challenges, which is what the roses find out when a new student, Dominic del la Guardia, creates a flurry of jealousy and competition.

"The first English Roses book captured the imagination of a worldwide audience," says publisher Nicholas Callaway. "With The English Roses: Too Good to Be True, Madonna now takes us farther into the lives of these five charming friends with an insightful tale about the joys and difficulties of experiencing one's first crush."

photo courtesy of Gamma

Madonna gets plenty of inspiration from her daughter, Lourdes, and son, Rocco, and support from her husband, movie director Guy Ritchie. Originally from Bay City, Mich., Madonna now has homes in London and Los Angeles.

Callaway will publish a limited edition deluxe box set of The English Roses and The English Roses: Too Good to Be True that include a signed letter from Madonna and a signed print from illustrator Stacy Peterson.