Segment Information (Detail) - Schedule of segment reporting information (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012		Aug. 31, 2011		May 31, 2012	May 31, 2011
Revenues	$ 293.6		$ 318.0
Bad debt expense	0.5		1.4
Depreciation and amortization	16.1	[1]	15.1	[1]
Amortization	11.8	[2]	11.9	[2]
Segment operating income (loss)	(47.5)		(33.2)
Segment assets	1,715.8		1,549.5
Goodwill	157.7		154.2		157.7	154.2
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	37.0		24.0
Long-lived assets	689.3		685.1
Children's Book Publishing and Distribution [Member]
Revenues	71.1	[3],[4]	77.5	[3],[4]
Bad debt expense	(0.2)	[3],[4]		[3],[4]
Depreciation and amortization	3.8	[1],[3],[4]	3.7	[1],[3],[4]
Amortization	3.5	[2],[3],[4]	3.1	[2],[3],[4]
Segment operating income (loss)	(55.2)	[3],[4]	(50.2)	[3],[4]
Segment assets	526.4	[3],[4]	506.5	[3],[4]
Goodwill	54.3	[3],[4]	54.3	[3],[4]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	15.1	[3],[4]	8.2	[3],[4]
Long-lived assets	170.1	[3],[4]	172.5	[3],[4]
Educational Technology and Services [Member]
Revenues	80.0	[3]	96.6	[3]
Bad debt expense	0.3	[3]	0.3	[3]
Depreciation and amortization	0.3	[1],[3]	0.3	[1],[3]
Amortization	5.5	[2],[3]	5.2	[2],[3]
Segment operating income (loss)	24.8	[3]	38.8	[3]
Segment assets	219.6	[3]	185.8	[3]
Goodwill	22.7	[3]	21.9	[3]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	8.2	[3]	5.3	[3]
Long-lived assets	103.3	[3]	97.1	[3]
Classroom Supplemental Materials Publishing [Member]
Revenues	37.9	[3],[5]	45.7	[3],[5]
Bad debt expense	(0.2)	[3],[5]	0.4	[3],[5]
Depreciation and amortization	0.4	[1],[3],[5]	0.3	[1],[3],[5]
Amortization	1.7	[2],[3],[5]	1.4	[2],[3],[5]
Segment operating income (loss)	(2.6)	[3],[5]	2.1	[3],[5]
Segment assets	171.4	[3],[5]	149.8	[3],[5]
Goodwill	65.4	[3],[5]	64.0	[3],[5]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	1.8	[3],[5]	1.3	[3],[5]
Long-lived assets	90.0	[3],[5]	79.7	[3],[5]
Media, Licensing and Advertising [Member]
Revenues	14.4	[3],[4]	10.5	[3],[4]
Bad debt expense	0	[3],[4]		[3],[4]
Depreciation and amortization	0.1	[1],[3],[4]	0.1	[1],[3],[4]
Amortization	0.5	[2],[3],[4]	1.5	[2],[3],[4]
Segment operating income (loss)	0	[3],[4]	(4.6)	[3],[4]
Segment assets	41.5	[3],[4]	40.6	[3],[4]
Goodwill	5.4	[3],[4]	5.4	[3],[4]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	2.0	[3],[4]	1.9	[3],[4]
Long-lived assets	13.1	[3],[4]	20.2	[3],[4]
Overhead [Member]
Revenues		[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Bad debt expense		[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Depreciation and amortization	10.3	[1],[3],[6]	9.2	[1],[3],[6]
Amortization		[2],[3],[6]		[2],[3],[6]
Segment operating income (loss)	(17.3)	[3],[6]	(19.2)	[3],[6]
Segment assets	441.4	[3],[6]	396.6	[3],[6]
Goodwill		[3],[6]		[3],[6]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	7.5	[3],[6]	5.0	[3],[6]
Long-lived assets	244.0	[3],[6]	244.6	[3],[6]
Total Domestic [Member]
Revenues	203.4		230.3
Bad debt expense	(0.1)		0.7
Depreciation and amortization	14.9	[1]	13.6	[1]
Amortization	11.2	[2]	11.2	[2]
Segment operating income (loss)	(50.3)		(33.1)
Segment assets	1,400.3		1,279.3
Goodwill	147.8		145.6
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	34.6		21.7
Long-lived assets	620.5		614.1
International Segment [Member]
Revenues	90.2	[3],[7]	87.7	[3],[7]
Bad debt expense	0.6	[3],[7]	0.7	[3],[7]
Depreciation and amortization	1.2	[1],[3],[7]	1.5	[1],[3],[7]
Amortization	0.6	[2],[3],[7]	0.7	[2],[3],[7]
Segment operating income (loss)	2.8	[3],[7]	(0.1)	[3],[7]
Segment assets	315.5	[3],[7]	270.2	[3],[7]
Goodwill	9.9	[3],[7]	8.6	[3],[7]
Expenditures for long-lived assets including royalty advances	2.4	[3],[7]	2.3	[3],[7]
Long-lived assets	$ 68.8	[3],[7]	$ 71.0	[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] As discussed under "Segment" in Note 1, a business previously reported in the Media, Licensing and Advertising segment is now included in the Children's Book Publishing and Distribution segment.

[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.