Segment Information (Detail) - Schedule of segment reporting information (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2012		Feb. 28, 2011		Feb. 29, 2012		Feb. 28, 2011		May 31, 2011	May 31, 2010
Revenues	$ 467.0		$ 384.3		$ 1,470.3		$ 1,342.6
Bad debt expense	3.1		6.7		7.8		12.6
Depreciation and amortization	16.0	[1]	14.5	[1]	46.6	[1]	43.4	[1]
Amortization	12.0	[2]	10.8	[2]	36.4	[2]	35.3	[2]
Loss on leases and asset impairments	0.8				7.0
Segment operating income (loss)	(11.9)		(30.0)		94.9		52.8
Segment assets	1,636.9		1,543.4		1,636.9		1,543.4
Goodwill	162.9		158.3		162.9		158.3		154.2	156.6
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	39.1		26.7		96.4		118.3
Long-lived assets	690.6		697.9		690.6		697.9
Children's Book Publishing and Distribution [Member]
Revenues	266.0	[3]	193.0	[3]	731.9	[3]	653.2	[3]
Bad debt expense	1.6	[3]	4.7	[3]	3.2	[3]	9.0	[3]
Depreciation and amortization	4.4	[1],[3]	4.1	[1],[3]	11.9	[1],[3]	11.6	[1],[3]
Amortization	2.8	[2],[3]	3.2	[2],[3]	9.0	[2],[3]	9.5	[2],[3]
Loss on leases and asset impairments	0.5	[3]		[3]	0.5	[3]		[3]
Segment operating income (loss)	11.8	[3]	(9.2)	[3]	70.6	[3]	36.5	[3]
Segment assets	597.1	[3]	483.6	[3]	597.1	[3]	483.6	[3]
Goodwill	54.3	[3]	54.3	[3]	54.3	[3]	54.3	[3]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	11.7	[3]	8.6	[3]	32.8	[3]	29.5	[3]
Long-lived assets	173.7	[3]	177.9	[3]	173.7	[3]	177.9	[3]
Educational Technology and Services [Member]
Revenues	40.0	[3],[4]	38.2	[3],[4]	202.0	[3],[4]	169.4	[3],[4]
Bad debt expense	0.3	[3],[4]		[3],[4]	1.0	[3],[4]	0.5	[3],[4]
Depreciation and amortization	0.2	[1],[3]	0.4	[1],[3],[4]	0.9	[1],[3],[4]	1.2	[1],[3],[4]
Amortization	5.3	[2],[3],[4]	3.9	[2],[3],[4]	15.6	[2],[3],[4]	15.2	[2],[3],[4]
Loss on leases and asset impairments		[3],[4]		[3],[4]		[3],[4]		[3],[4]
Segment operating income (loss)	(5.9)	[3],[4]	(4.2)	[3],[4]	47.5	[3],[4]	29.4	[3],[4]
Segment assets	156.6	[3],[4]	147.3	[3],[4]	156.6	[3],[4]	147.3	[3],[4]
Goodwill	22.7	[3],[4]	22.5	[3],[4]	22.7	[3],[4]	22.5	[3],[4]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	6.7	[3],[4]	6.8	[3],[4]	18.0	[3],[4]	26.8	[3],[4]
Long-lived assets	98.5	[3],[4]	97.7	[3],[4]	98.5	[3],[4]	97.7	[3],[4]
Classroom And Supplemental Materials Publishing [Member]
Revenues	38.2	[3],[5]	43.1	[3],[5]	142.6	[3],[5]	132.1	[3],[5]
Bad debt expense	0.4	[3],[5]	1.0	[3],[5]	1.3	[3],[5]	0.5	[3],[5]
Depreciation and amortization	0.3	[1],[3],[5]	0.2	[1],[3],[5]	0.8	[1],[3],[5]	0.8	[1],[3],[5]
Amortization	1.8	[2],[3],[5]	1.3	[2],[3],[5]	4.9	[2],[3],[5]	3.5	[2],[3],[5]
Loss on leases and asset impairments		[3],[5]		[3],[5]		[3],[5]		[3],[5]
Segment operating income (loss)	(3.4)	[3],[5]	1.5	[3],[5]	9.0	[3],[5]	7.4	[3],[5]
Segment assets	153.3	[3],[5]	150.5	[3],[5]	153.3	[3],[5]	150.5	[3],[5]
Goodwill	70.5	[3],[5]	67.4	[3],[5]	70.5	[3],[5]	67.4	[3],[5]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	4.9	[3],[5]	2.4	[3],[5]	9.3	[3],[5]	4.9	[3],[5]
Long-lived assets	88.3	[3],[5]	81.2	[3],[5]	88.3	[3],[5]	81.2	[3],[5]
Media, Licensing and Advertising [Member]
Revenues	17.2	[3]	14.9	[3]	56.4	[3]	65.0	[3]
Bad debt expense		[3]	0.1	[3]		[3]	0.2	[3]
Depreciation and amortization		[1],[3]		[1],[3]	0.4	[1],[3]	0.5	[1],[3]
Amortization	1.5	[2],[3]	1.8	[2],[3]	5.1	[2],[3]	5.1	[2],[3]
Loss on leases and asset impairments		[3]		[3]		[3]		[3]
Segment operating income (loss)	(0.8)	[3]	(3.6)	[3]	(3.2)	[3]	(0.6)	[3]
Segment assets	38.2	[3]	40.4	[3]	38.2	[3]	40.4	[3]
Goodwill	5.4	[3]	5.4	[3]	5.4	[3]	5.4	[3]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	1.3	[3]	1.6	[3]	5.3	[3]	5.8	[3]
Long-lived assets	19.7	[3]	19.5	[3]	19.7	[3]	19.5	[3]
Overhead [Member]
Revenues		[3],[6]		[3],[6]		[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Bad debt expense		[3],[6]		[3],[6]		[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Depreciation and amortization	9.1	[1],[3],[6]	8.3	[1],[3],[6]	27.7	[1],[3],[6]	25.2	[1],[3],[6]
Amortization		[2],[3],[6]		[2],[3],[6]		[2],[3],[6]		[2],[3],[6]
Loss on leases and asset impairments		[3],[6]		[3],[6]	6.2	[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Segment operating income (loss)	(17.9)	[3],[6]	(13.1)	[3],[6]	(59.8)	[3],[6]	(41.6)	[3],[6]
Segment assets	397.4	[3],[6]	433.5	[3],[6]	397.4	[3],[6]	433.5	[3],[6]
Goodwill		[3],[6]		[3],[6]		[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	9.4	[3],[6]	5.7	[3],[6]	22.0	[3],[6]	42.6	[3],[6]
Long-lived assets	242.8	[3],[6]	247.2	[3],[6]	242.8	[3],[6]	247.2	[3],[6]
Total Domestic [Member]
Revenues	361.4		289.2		1,132.9		1,019.7
Bad debt expense	2.3		5.8		5.5		10.2
Depreciation and amortization	14.0	[1]	13.0	[1]	41.7	[1]	39.3	[1]
Amortization	11.4	[2]	10.2	[2]	34.6	[2]	33.3	[2]
Loss on leases and asset impairments	0.5				6.7
Segment operating income (loss)	(16.2)		(28.6)		64.1		31.1
Segment assets	1,342.6		1,255.3		1,342.6		1,255.3
Goodwill	152.9		149.6		152.9		149.6
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	34.0		25.1		87.4		109.6
Long-lived assets	623.0		623.5		623.0		623.5
International Segment [Member]
Revenues	105.6	[3],[7]	95.1	[3],[7]	337.4	[3],[7]	322.9	[3],[7]
Bad debt expense	0.8	[3],[7]	0.9	[3],[7]	2.3	[3],[7]	2.4	[3],[7]
Depreciation and amortization	2.0	[1],[3],[7]	1.5	[1],[3],[7]	4.9	[1],[3],[7]	4.1	[1],[3],[7]
Amortization	0.6	[2],[3],[7]	0.6	[2],[3],[7]	1.8	[2],[3],[7]	2.0	[2],[3],[7]
Loss on leases and asset impairments	0.3	[3],[7]		[3],[7]	0.3	[3],[7]		[3],[7]
Segment operating income (loss)	4.3	[3],[7]	(1.4)	[3],[7]	30.8	[3],[7]	21.7	[3],[7]
Segment assets	294.3	[3],[7]	288.1	[3],[7]	294.3	[3],[7]	288.1	[3],[7]
Goodwill	10.0	[3],[7]	8.7	[3],[7]	10.0	[3],[7]	8.7	[3],[7]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	5.1	[3],[7]	1.6	[3],[7]	9.0	[3],[7]	8.7	[3],[7]
Long-lived assets	$ 67.6	[3],[7]	$ 74.4	[3],[7]	$ 67.6	[3],[7]	$ 74.4	[3],[7]

[1] Includes depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortization of intangible assets.

[2] Includes amortization of prepublication and production costs.

[3] As discussed under "Discontinued Operations" in Note 1, "Basis of Presentation," the Company closed or sold several operations during fiscal 2009, fiscal 2010 and the first quarter of fiscal 2012 and presently holds for sale one facility. All of these businesses are classified as discontinued operations in the Company's financial statements and, as such, are not reflected in this table.

[4] Includes assets and results of operations acquired in a business acquisition as of September 9, 2010.

[5] Includes assets and results of operations acquired in a business acquisition as of February 8, 2012.

[6] Overhead includes all domestic corporate amounts not allocated to segments, including expenses and costs related to the management of corporate assets. Unallocated assets are principally comprised of deferred income taxes and property, plant and equipment related to the Company's headquarters in the metropolitan New York area, its fulfillment and distribution facilities located in Missouri and its facility located in Connecticut. Overhead also includes amounts previously allocated to the Media, Licensing and Advertising segment for the Company's direct-to-home toy catalog business that was discontinued in the first quarter of fiscal 2012.

[7] Includes assets and results of operations acquired in a business acquisition as of January 3, 2012.