Jamestown, RI (September 23, 2008) – The Young Scientists Club may well be grooming the next generation of astronauts or astronomers as it launches its newest science kit for kids, Star Pilot™.

Star Pilot™ • $34.99, for ages 10 and up

This one-of-a-kind space kit combines technology, invention, culture, fun, and learning. Young Scientists will explore the night sky using a specialized astronomical device called the Star Pilot™ that navigates the sky and locates the brightest stars and constellations. Budding astronomers will learn about the life cycle of a star, discover asterisms such as the Big Dipper, locate 23 constellations in the night sky, make anight-vision flashlight, and even perform a binocular fusion experiment.

An attractive and detailed color illustrated manual includes fun astronomical information, experiments, diagrams, and constellation legends from cultures around the world. The final section of the manual contains beautifully illustrated celestial legends including the legends of the Milky Way, the stories of Orion and Leo, legends of Big Bear and its hunters, and more. Plus this kit includes a poster with fun astronomical details that will enhance any young scientist’s wall!

Included in this set:

• The Star Pilot patented device invented and developed by scientists from Ivy League universities to help Young Scientists navigate the sky to locate constellations.
• Slooh Telescope Card and Starter Activity Book: Activation of this card allows Young Scientists to plan exciting space missions, observe constellations and view planets through the Internet, all with real-time connection to powerful professional telescopes located in the Canary Islands, Chile and Australia.
• Star Chart: Assists in locating stars and constellations.
• Red Cellophane and Elastic Band: All young astronomers need a night vision flashlight. These materials convert your regular flashlight to night vision.
• Practice Cards: Two practice cards of the Southern and Northern Hemispheres teach Young Scientists how to use their Star Pilot.

The Young Scientists Club also introduced this year two more additions to its Magic School Bus kit line, which have won recognition from The National Parenting Center, iParenting Media Awards, Mr. Dad, Creative Child magazine awards, and Parents’ Choice Foundation:

The Magic School Bus® – The Secrets of Space • $19.99

Ms. Frizzle and her students take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the secrets of space with spectacular experiments. Youngsters construct a night-vision flashlight, design a solar system mobile, build a constellation box, draw constellation cards, recreate the phases of the moon, make a model of a solar eclipse, observe magic beads change color, assemble a working telescope, and more! This thrilling kit includes an interactive space poster with sheets of planet and star stickers.

The Magic School Bus® – Soaring Into Flight • $19.99

Ms. Frizzle and her students take Young Scientists soaring into flight with a dozen dynamic experiments. Youngsters build a balloon-jet, experiment with parachutes, make a spinner soar, create the ultimate paper airplane, make paper magically rise, move floating ping pong balls, collapse a juice box, fly a glider, lift off rockets, and more!

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About The Young Scientists Club
Esther Novis, a mother of five and a former Harvard-trained biologist, started The Young Scientists Club in 1999 as a summer science camp for her 5-year-old son. Friends from other parts of the country told Novis they felt cheated that their kids couldn’t go, so Novis packaged the experiments and sent them off. The idea for a science subscription service was born! The subscription kits are now mailed monthly to thousands of children around the world and the company’s retail kits are sold in hundreds of specialty stores.

In addition to developing new products for The Young Scientists Club, this wise mom has many years of experience teaching at Phillips Academy, Andover and has written the science column for Parents Magazine plus wrote science experiments for the new science curriculum by McGraw-Hill Publishing. Visit the Young Scientists Club website at www.kidsciencekits.com for more information.

About The Magic School Bus
With 131 titles and more than 58 million books in print, The Magic School Bus is the most successful children’s science book series in history. The series has been honored with over a dozen awards, including a Daytime Emmy for Lily Tomlin, six Cine Golden Eagles, a Parents’ Choice Gold Medal, a National Conservation Achievement Award, an Environmental Media Association Award, the prestigious Annenberg Public Policy Center Award, and The NEA Foundation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education. The animated series continues to be a hit on TLC and Discovery Kids and a top-selling home video and DVD series from Warner Home Video. In addition, fans can experience The Magic School Bus first-hand as The Magic School Bus Museum Tour, “Kicks Up A Storm,” is currently at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in Kalamazoo, MI until January 28, 2008. Additionally, a real-life, traveling Magic School Bus is pulling up to libraries, schools, retailers and local events, giving kids the chance climb aboard and experience the magical adventures firsthand. The award-winning Magic School Bus website at scholastic.com/magicschoolbus is chockfull of games, learning activities and more, and is one of the most popular areas on scholastic.com, receiving nearly 3 million page views per month.