WHITE PLAINS, NY, July 8--When Scholastic Inc. first published The
Baby-sitters Club in 1986, it sparked a nationwide phenomenon. Now,
children have a whole new way to make The Baby-sitters Club adventure come
alive, with a personal computer connected to the PRODIGY service.

The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY is the latest Custom Choice feature to be
added to the popular online network, which now has more than one and a
half million members nationwide. The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY creates
an engaging, interactive online environment filled with games and
activities based on the wholesome themes and loveable characters from the
book series. In its licensing agreement with Scholastic, the PRODIGY
service has the exclusive right to use the characters and themes from The
Baby-sitters Club online.

"The whole idea for The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY came from the kids
themselves," said Henry Heilbrunn, Prodigy's senior vice president, media.
"We saw them using our bulletin boards to share their enthusiasm for The
Baby-sitters Club. We wanted to offer The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY to
give them an even richer set of activities to explore."

Using The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY, fans and members of real-life
baby-sitting clubs nationwide can communicate electronically, because
their home computers are all linked through telephone lines connected to
the PRODIGY service. They can exchange ideas, play games based on the
stories, and send questions to Ann M. Martin, author of the book series.
"The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY gives children the opportunity to
follow the adventures of their favorite characters, while developing their
computer and communication skills," said Heilbrunn.

"We are delighted that The Baby-sitters Club has evolved so naturally into
the online environment," said Deborah Forte, vice president, Scholastic
Inc. "From the very beginning, The Baby-sitters Club phenomenon has been
sparked by the irrepressible interest of children. The Baby-sitters Club
for PRODIGY is an ideal way for kids to express their enthusiasm and to
make friends with thousands of other Baby-sitters Club fans across the
country."

The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY has the following features:

. An Interactive Story appears online each month, with three possible
endings. Children vote for their favorite endings and tell PRODIGY what
they'd do in the same situation.

. The Baby-sitters Club Who's Who gives kids the latest news on each
character in The Baby-sitters Club series, along with a club history.

. Ask Ann is a special area where Ann M. Martin, author of The Baby-sitters
Club, answers selected questions from members.

. Date Reminder helps members keep track of baby-sitting jobs and other
activities, like piano lessons and homework.

. The Baby-sitters Club Tips & Tactics has nearly 200 articles with helpful
hints and fun facts for baby-sitters.

. Special Features will be introduced each month, including member polls,
trivia games, and other activities.

The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY, including all these features, costs just
$5.95 a month, in addition to a PRODIGY service membership.

From now through July 31, PRODIGY service members can participate in The
Babysitters Club online sweepstakes to win autographed copies of the first
Baby-sitters Club book and Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY T-shirts.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of all Baby-sitters Club licensed
merchandise is donated to the Ann M. Martin Foundation, which is
exclusively dedicated to benefiting children, education and literacy
programs, and the homeless.

Scholastic Inc. is one of the nation's leading publishers and distributors
of children's books, classroom and professional magazines, and other
educational materials. The company also produces family-oriented video and
television programming. Scholastic operates in the United States, Canada,
Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

The PRODIGY service is America's most-used online network, with more than
one and a half million members. It links families with personal computers
to a broad range of information and services, including shopping, bill
paying, banking brokerage, and travel ticketing; sending personal
messages; searching an electronic encyclopedia; using hundreds of other
educational and entertainment features; and selecting such information as
news, weather, sports and stock quotes. Each household connects to this
network through its regular telephone line attached to a home computer
with a modem.

PRODIGY service Start-up Kits are available in more than 15,000 stores
around the country. Prodigy maintains a special toll-free number to locate
dealers: 1-800-PRODIGY.

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