First Twenty eBooks in Bestselling Scholastic Series to Feature Classic Cover Look

New York, NY (November 14, 2012) —Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, announced today that it will release ebook versions of its bestselling The Baby-sitters Club® series on December 1, 2012. The first twenty titles in the beloved iconic series by Ann M. Martin will feature classic covers illustrated by Hodges Soileau. Fondly called the "BSC" by its legions of devoted fans, The Baby-sitters Club® is one of the most successful series in publishing history with more than 176 million books in print.

More than 25 years since The Baby-sitters Club inspired a generation of readers, fans can go back to Stoneybrook, Connecticut, to find old friends, Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey, just the way fans remember them. In advance of the ebook launch, starting this month and throughout December, Scholastic will release exclusive content through the official The Baby-sitters Club® Facebook page, www.facebook.com/thebabysittersclub, a hub for the original fans of the series where they can connect and reminisce about their favorite “BSC” moments. The Baby-sitters Club Facebook page will feature regular updates including special announcements, trivia, photos, videos, and various series-related content from the web. The Facebook page will also debut a new The Baby-sitters Club® Facebook app where fans can preview the new ebooks, take quizzes, weigh-in on polls, and scroll through nostalgic “BSC” images and memorabilia.

Author Ann M. Martin spent the latter part of the 1980s and most of the 1990s working on the The Baby- sitters Club series, which was supposed to debut in 1986 and end in 1987, and to consist of only four titles. Instead, it ended 15 years later, with four additional related series, approximately 250 titles, spawned a TV series as well as a movie, and prompted girls around the world to start their own baby- sitters clubs. The Baby-sitters Club became the first children’s series to appear on the USA Today bestseller list and was named one of the “Books of the Century” by the New York Times Book Review. For more information, visit The Baby-sitters Club media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/babysittersclub.

“When I created the characters in The Baby-sitters Club in the mid-1980s, I never would have imagined that twenty-five years later there would be BSC fan sites, and blogs about the fictional lives of the characters,” said author Ann M. Martin. “I'm humbled and thrilled when I hear from readers, including original fans, that The Baby-sitters Club fueled a love of reading, or when I hear from fans that the series inspired them to become writers, editors, and teachers. Those are the best compliments I could hope for.”

“Inspiring a generation of girls to love books and reading is one of the best legacies of The Baby-sitters Club,” said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. “The series has maintained a devoted fan base, especially among older readers, some of whom are still obsessed with the characters and remember the books as cozy and comfort reads that they love to this day. The universal themes in the books— friendship, empowerment, entrepreneurialism, and individualism still resonate with readers. With the release of the first twenty Baby-sitters Club titles in e-book format, we will not only reach the existing fans where they are in the digital space, but also expand the readership of this beloved series.”

Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality books, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home. The Company distributes its products and services worldwide through a variety of channels, including school-based book clubs and book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, on-air, and online at www.scholastic.com.

For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room at: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.

Contact:
Charisse Meloto
Executive Director of Publicity for Print & Digital Publishing
Scholastic Inc.
(212) 389-3785 • cmeloto@scholastic.com