New York — July 6, 2010 — Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, announced today that the Emmy® Award-winning WordGirl® will aim to beat the heat of July with a weeklong programming event called "There’s A New Villain in Town." Set to air on PBS KIDS GO!July 19-23 (check local listings), this special week of programming pits WordGirl against all-new villains with two never-before-seen episodes paired with fan-favorites. Fans can also play new games and enjoy new printables on PBSKIDSGO.org.

New episodes airing Monday and Tuesday, July 19-20, follow WordGirl as she goes head-to-head against the sly game show host Seymour Orlando Smooth, and the impressive imposter Amazing Rope Guy. Fanfavorites re-air the rest of the week. Other villains featured include Nocan The Contrarian, Kid Potato(voiced by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ed Asner), Royal Dandy, Ms. Question, Guy Rich, and Lady Redundant Woman.

"WordGirl fans may be on summer vacation, but a super heroine's work is never done." says Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media, Executive Producer of WordGirl, and Executive Vice President of Scholastic Inc., "Scholastic is proud that our award-winning show continues to delight children and parents alike with the power of a great vocabulary."

Real-Life Contest Winner Appears July 20
The premiere episode of "OH WHAT A TANGLED ROPE YOU TIE, AMAZING ROPE GUY / KIDS ACTION NEWS" (Episode #226 airing July 20) includes the appearance of a character based on nineyear- old Amanda Endicott of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Amanda won Scholastic Book Club’s "My Favorite Word" Contest, which asked kids to submit their favorite words for a chance to appear as an animated character in an episode of WordGirl. Amanda writes: "My favorite word is miniscule. Miniscule means very, very tiny. I like the word because I like the way it sounds. When I’m sitting in the backyard, the ants look miniscule."

Designed to enrich children's vocabulary, instill a love of language, and foster better reading comprehension, WordGirl debuted as on-air and online shorts in November 2006 and has been airing daily since 2008. The show has won numerous parenting and industry excellence awards since its debut, including an Emmy Award for "Best Writing in Animation," a Television Critics Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Children's Animation," a Gracie Award for its portrayal of a strong female character, an iParenting Media Award, a KidScreen Award for Best Voice Talent, a Parents Choice Silver Honor Award and many more. WordGirl books are published by Scholastic and new games and puzzles are scheduled to release from Briarpatch later this year.

Voice talent for these episodes includes Dannah Phirman (“MadTV”) as WordGirl, Chris Parnell ("30 Rock," "Saturday Night Live") as the Narrator, Grey Delisle ("Scooby Doo") as Ms. Question, Daran Norris ("Party Down", "American Dad") as Seymour Smooth and Nocan the Contrarian, William Mapother ("Lost") as Guy Rich, Larry Murphy ("Ugly Americans") as Amazing Rope Guy, Sergio Cilli ("InfoMania") as Royal Dandy, and Ed Asner ("Up!") as Kid Potato.

THERE’S A NEW VILLAIN IN TOWN – FEATURED EPISODES

Monday, July 19 – PREMIERE EPISODE
WIN A SHINY NEW CAR
Mrs. Botsford is a contestant on Seymour Orlando Smooth's new show "Win a Shiny New Car." When Becky realizes the other contestants are cheating for Smooth, she has to save her Mom from being tricked again. Can Becky help her mom win the challenge and defeat Seymour Smooth?
Vocabulary Words: Legitimate, Elated

THE PEOPLE VS. MS. QUESTION
When WordGirl puts Ms. Question on the stand, she confuses District Attorney Botsford, and makes her forget why she became a lawyer. WordGirl must help her mom return to her quest for justice, and stop Ms. Questions’ tirade of inquiries.
Vocabulary Words: Befuddled, Justice

Tuesday, July 20 – PREMIERE EPISODE

OH WHAT A TANGLED ROPE YOU TIE, AMAZING ROPE GUY
As a villain, the Amazing Rope Guy is not so amazing. He discovers that his true talent is mimicking others. When he goes on a crime spree impersonating all of the villains of the city, WordGirl must find a way to end his career as an imposter.
Vocabulary Words: Imposter, Untangle

KIDS ACTION NEWS
This just in: Becky, Scoops, and Violet won a chance to host Kids Action News at Noon. While covering a story about the largest grilled cheese sandwich, WordGirl swoops in to stop Chuck and Dr. Two Brains from snagging the sandwich. WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face team up again to save the sandwich, the city, and the news hour.
Vocabulary Words: Tantalizing, United

Wednesday, July 21 NOCAN THE CONTRARIAN
Mr. Botsford wins the role of "Mayor for the Day" just as villain Nocan the Contrarian lands ashore. When Mr. Botsford says "down," he says "up"! When WordGirl says "attack," he says "defend" followed by a barbaric yelp. WordGirl has to find his weakness in order to restore normalcy to the city.
Vocabulary Words: Contrary, Exquisite

MEAT MY DAD
When the Butcher's dad, Kid Potato, appears on the scene, the two unite to create the ultimate supervillain team: Meat and Potatoes! Quality father-son time gets on the Butcher's nerves, but somehow they still find a way to break the law.
Vocabulary Words: Nemesis, Badger

Thursday, July 22
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Seymour Orlando Smooth is hoodwinking the audience members of his new show "Wishful Thinking." When he tricks Violet and TJ into giving him their money, Becky has had enough. She teams up with TJ to bring down Smooth and save the city from his trickery.
Vocabulary Words: Gleaming, Hoodwinked

LADY REDUNDANT WOMAN GETS THE BLUES
Beatrice Bixby is trying to prove a point: she thinks copies are just as good as the original. So she helps a painting subject named Royal Dandy become a real-life kid – the most spoiled kid ever. WordGirl must help Lady Redundant Woman and the city stop Royal's greedy rampage and return the original painting to the museum.
Vocabulary Words: Admirer, Greed

Friday, July 23
THE YOUNG AND THE MEATLESS
Romantic sparks fly when the Butcher meets Lady Redundant Woman's copy, named Dupey. Will Lady Redundant Woman allow a union between one of her copies and the meat-wielding villain?
Vocabulary Words: Duplicate, Interruption

MR. BIG’S MINI-GOLF
There's a new villain in town: Guy Rich. He's a super-rich evil businessman whom everyone is impressed by…except Mr. Big. Mr. Big schemes to win back the spotlight by building a Colossal Mini Golf Course. But what happens when he subjects fellow evil villains to mind control?
Vocabulary Words: Colossal, Scoff

For more information on WordGirl, please visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/wordgirl, PBSKIDSGO.org/wordgirl and PBS.org/pressroom.

For additional information, screeners and artwork, please contact: Jennifer Marcus Goodman Media International jmarcus@goodmanmedia.com 212-576-2700 x 239

John Michael Kennedy Goodman Media International jmkennedy@goodmanmedia.com 212-576-2700 x 243