Broderbund's Alien Tales Introduces Kids To Reading That Is Out Of This World; New Macintosh CD-ROM title from Broderbund adds a galactic twist to famous children's literature.

NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 1995--Alien Tales(TM) is an exciting new game show-styled program that encourages reading among 9-to-13-year-olds by exposing them to some of the greatest children's literature. Kids play against a celebrity panel of aliens claiming authorship of books from Earth. Matching wits against these impostors, kids must read passages, answer questions and solve puzzles to reclaim the famous works for their true authors.

Alien Tales, a new Macintosh CD-ROM title from Broderbund Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:BROD), uses a highly engaging galactic TV game show format to expose children to passages from such famous books as The Call of the Wild, Alice in Wonderland, and Treasure Island. In addition to providing quality entertainment and reinforcing comprehension and analytical skills, the game is designed to encourage kids to read more on their own.

"Our hope is that kids will find the Alien Tales passages so intriguing that they'll be turned on to books long after they've turned off the computer," says Ken Goldstein, Publisher of Broderbund Entertainment and Education products. "Even if they don't read every book on the list, they will have fun learning the plots, characters and authors of 30 of the best loved children's books."

Interstellar Broadcast System

Players of the new title log onto an orbiting space station that is home to the television studios of the Interstellar Broadcasting System (IBS). Under the watchful eyes of host Sal of deCentury, his faithful TV sidekick, Wanna B, and a studio audience gathered from the far corners of the cosmos, kids become contestants on a literary game show.

Competing alone or in teams, players face a panel of extraterrestrials, each of whom claims authorship of different works of literature from planet Earth. There are five types of puzzles that test the player's knowledge of books to expose and embarrass the aliens as literary impostors. If successful, they salvage the reputations of terrestrial authors and earn fabulous "virtual" prizes and starbucks.

Players have the option of reading selected passages by themselves or having the computer read aloud to them as the text in each passage is highlighted. Alien Tales includes 450 passages, including plot synopses, excerpts and author backgrounds from 30 literary works. Several of the books represented in Alien Tales were written by Newbery award-winning authors. Continual rotation of passages and questions, plus the use of colorful animations, quirky sound effects and hilarious puns, ensure many hours of fun for kids ages 9 to 13 years old.

Report from the U.S. Department of Education

According to testing done over the past 20 years, findings by the National Assessment of Educational Progress show the nation's students (ages 9-17) improved their scores in math and science during the 80s, but their scores in reading and writing slipped or stagnated. In 1992, 64% of the 13-year-olds tested said they watched three or more hours of television daily, while only 37% of the same group read for fun on a daily basis.

One goal with Alien Tales is to get children excited about reading! Because they will have been given glimpses of many titles within the program, kids may choose to read these books or others on their own.

School Edition of Alien Tales

Broderbund's Educational Marketing division has created a teacher's guide that thematically groups the 30 different books within Alien Tales. Themes include Mystery, Survival and Fantasy to name a few. Teachers will also be provided with an annotated bibliography of additional titles of interest to their students and a paperback book, Grand Conversations -- Literature Groups in Action by Ralph Peterson and Maryann Eeds. Grand Conversations is designed to help educators organize and monitor literature discussion groups. The book includes many tools to help teachers stimulate and evaluate classroom discussions.

Availability and System Requirements

The Macintosh and Window CD-ROM versions of Alien Tales are currently available in stores for approximately $45. The Macintosh version requires a color Macintosh with 256 colors, System 7.0.1 or higher, 25 MHz 68030 LC III or better, 5MB RAM, CD-ROM drive and hard drive. The Windows CD-ROM version requires a 33MHz 386DX (or higher) with a CD-ROM drive and MPC compliant video and sound cards, running Windows 3.1 or higher.

About Broderbund Software

Broderbund Software, Inc. is a diversified consumer software company that offers a broad selection of fun, award-winning products for use in homes, schools and small businesses. Founded in 1980, the company is committed to creating imaginative personal computer software of lasting value for every member of the family. -0-

Note to Editors: Broderbund(R) is a registered trademark and Alien Tales(TM) is a trademark of Broderbund Software, Inc. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Broderbund Software, Inc.

Shannon Jamieson, 415/382-4567

Email: [e-mail]

Dana Henry, 415/382-3238

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