NEW YORK — February 11, 2009 — Toy Fair 2009 will mark another milestone for a character that puts the "super" in "superlative." Scholastic Media (www.scholastic.com) unveils Briarpatch as a new licensee that will release board games, card games, travel games and puzzles based on the critically acclaimed animated series, WordGirl® (www.pbskids.org/wordgirl) beginning in 2010. Scholastic Media’s agreement with Briarpatch (www.briarpatch.com) builds upon a highly successful and longstanding 15-year relationship between the two companies, which includes the bestselling I SPY program.

The WordGirl toy line from Briarpatch will be introduced to the marketplace in January 2010 through various distribution channels including mass market, specialty stores and toy stores. The product line will join the new line of Scholastic WordGirl books that will launch in February 2009 with four books and then four more books to follow in the fall. There will also be a new line of Halloween costumes available this Fall.

"WordGirl is smart, funny and truly one of the most distinctive new kids shows around," said Leslye Schaefer, Senior Vice President Marketing and Consumer Products for Scholastic Media. "Our merchandising program will leverage the clever and hilarious characters and storylines from the series. We're starting with a targeted campaign roll-out, but anticipate a wider range of products in 2010 and beyond."

WordGirl has received numerous awards and accolades since its debut in September 2007, including a 2008 Daytime Emmy® for "Best Writing in Animation", the 2008 Television Critics Association Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming," a 2008 Parent’s Choice Award in the "Parent’s Choice Recommended" category, and a 2008 Pulcinella Award Official Selection as part of the International Showcase at the "Cartoons On The Bay" festival in Salerno, Italy. WordGirl was also most recently selected as a winner of the Learning Magazine 2009 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family.

The show’s website (www.pbskidsgo.org/wordgirl) also was named a 2008 Finalist for the Prix Jeunesse International Interactivity Prize, designated a 2008 Parents’ Choice Recommended award winner and won a GOLD AWARD in the 2008 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Children's Products competition. The site, which receives over 1 million hits each month, extends the show’s vocabulary-building with new videos and games, as well as updated installments of "Power Words" and "Freeze Frame" featuring vocabulary words from the new episodes.

WordGirl chronicles the madcap adventures of Becky Botsford, a mild-mannered fifth grader who, at the call of duty, transforms into WordGirl – caped crusader and definition dynamo! When there is trouble in The City, this super heroine-in-disguise uses vocabulary to defeat outlaws bent on "word" domination. With the help of her faithful monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face, WordGirl spends each episode defeating a quirky cast of villains – from Dr. Two-Brains to The Butcher – with her power punches and dictionary strength. The show is designed to enrich children’s vocabulary, instill a love of language and foster better reading comprehension.

WordGirl airs five days a week on PBS KIDS GO! (check local listings for times). More information is available online atwww.pbskidsgo.org/wordgirl and pbs.org/pressroom.

CONTACT:

Brian Reinert / Ashley Gillen
BENDER/HELPER IMPACT
brian_reinert@bhimpact.com / ashley_gillen@bhimpact.com
212.689.6360

About Scholastic Media Scholastic Media, the entertainment and media division of Scholastic, is a leading producer of quality, family-oriented content across multiple platforms, including feature films, television programming, videos, interactive and audio products, and websites, and is a major developer and marketer of children's brands worldwide.

About Scholastic Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs and school-based book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, television networks and the Company’s Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

About Briarpatch Briarpatch’s mission is to create games with integrity that enhance children’s social and emotional development through play. The company has pioneered the development of games, card games and puzzles based upon literary licenses, and their success with trend driven and evergreen properties has made them an industry leader. Briarpatch has received numerous awards for product excellence and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as "one of the fastest growing private companies in America."