Segment Information (Detail) - Schedule of segment reporting information (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010
Revenues	$ 318.0	$ 290.4
Bad debts	1.4	2.9
Depreciation and amortization	15.1	14.4
Amortization	11.9	12.1
Royalty advances expensed	6.2	6.0
Segment operating (loss) income	(33.2)	(46.3)
Segment assets	1,549.5	1,624.9
Goodwill	154.2	156.6
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	24.0	30.5
Long-lived assets	685.1	668.9
Childrens Book Publishing And Distribution [Member]
Revenues	77.3	72.8
Bad debts		2.0
Depreciation and amortization	3.7	3.6
Amortization	3.1	3.3
Royalty advances expensed	5.0	5.1
Segment operating (loss) income	(49.8)	(51.6)
Segment assets	506.5	553.1
Goodwill	54.3	54.3
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	8.2	13.0
Long-lived assets	172.5	183.8
Educational Technology And Services [Member]
Revenues	96.6	82.1
Bad debts	0.3	0.3
Depreciation and amortization	0.3	0.3
Amortization	5.2	5.8
Royalty advances expensed	0.2	0.2
Segment operating (loss) income	38.8	30.2
Segment assets	185.8	204.6
Goodwill	21.9	21.0
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	5.3	6.1
Long-lived assets	97.1	91.5
Classroom And Supplemental Materials Publishing [Member]
Revenues	45.7	36.5
Bad debts	0.4	(0.3)
Depreciation and amortization	0.3	0.3
Amortization	1.4	0.7
Royalty advances expensed	0.1
Segment operating (loss) income	2.1	(1.7)
Segment assets	149.8	143.5
Goodwill	64.0	67.4
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	1.3	0.8
Long-lived assets	79.7	76.7
Media Licensing And Advertising [Member]
Revenues	10.7	17.1
Depreciation and amortization	0.1	0.5
Amortization	1.5	1.7
Royalty advances expensed	0.1	0.1
Segment operating (loss) income	(5.0)	(2.2)
Segment assets	40.6	51.5
Goodwill	5.4	5.4
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	1.9	2.0
Long-lived assets	20.2	20.1
Overhead [Member]
Depreciation and amortization	9.2	8.4
Segment operating (loss) income	(19.2)	(18.8)
Segment assets	396.6	384.0
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	5.0	5.5
Long-lived assets	244.6	227.1
Total Domestic [Member]
Revenues	230.3	208.5
Bad debts	0.7	2.0
Depreciation and amortization	13.6	13.1
Amortization	11.2	11.5
Royalty advances expensed	5.4	5.4
Segment operating (loss) income	(33.1)	(44.1)
Segment assets	1,279.3	1,336.7
Goodwill	145.6	148.1
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	21.7	27.4
Long-lived assets	614.1	599.2
International Segment [Member]
Revenues	87.7	81.9
Bad debts	0.7	0.9
Depreciation and amortization	1.5	1.3
Amortization	0.7	0.6
Royalty advances expensed	0.8	0.6
Segment operating (loss) income	(0.1)	(2.2)
Segment assets	270.2	288.2
Goodwill	8.6	8.5
Expenditures for long-lived assets, including royalty advances	2.3	3.1
Long-lived assets	$ 71.0	$ 69.7