NOTICE OF GUARANTEED DELIVERY

                                       FOR
                    TENDER OF SHARES OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK

                                       OF
                               HUNGRY MINDS, INC.

                                       TO
                              HMI ACQUISITION CORP.
                 A DIRECT OR INDIRECT WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF
                             JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
                    (NOT TO BE USED FOR SIGNATURE GUARANTEES)

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         THE OFFER AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT,
               NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2001,
                          UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED.
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     This Notice of Guaranteed Delivery,  or a form substantially  equivalent to
it,  must be used to  accept  the  Offer  (as  defined  below)  if  certificates
representing  shares of Class A Common  Stock,  par value  $0.001 per share (the
"Shares"),  of Hungry Minds, Inc., a Delaware  corporation (the "Company"),  are
not immediately  available,  if the procedure for book-entry  transfer cannot be
completed  prior to the Expiration Date (as defined in Section 1 of the Offer to
Purchase),  or if time will not permit all required documents to reach EquiServe
Trust Company,  N.A. (the "Depositary")  prior to the Expiration Date. Such form
may  be  delivered  by  hand,  transmitted  by  facsimile  transmission,  mailed
overnight or sent by regular mail to the Depositary.  See Section 3 of the Offer
to Purchase.

                        THE DEPOSITARY FOR THE OFFER IS:
                          EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.



                                                            
          BY MAIL:                          BY HAND:                   BY OVERNIGHT DELIVERY:

EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.          SECURITIES TRANSFER          EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
       P.O. Box 43025              & REPORTING SERVICES, INC.          ATTN: CORPORATE ACTIONS
  Providence, RI 02940-3025     C/O EQUISERVE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP        40 Campanelli Drive
                                  100 Williams Street Galleria           Braintree, MA 02184
                                       New York, NY 10038



                            BY FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
                        (FOR ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS ONLY):
                               (781) 575-4826/4827

                              CONFIRM BY TELEPHONE:
                                 (781) 575-4816

     DELIVERY OF THIS NOTICE OF GUARANTEED  DELIVERY TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN AS
SET FORTH ABOVE OR TRANSMISSION OF INSTRUCTIONS  VIA FACSIMILE TO A NUMBER OTHER
THAN AS SPECIFIED ABOVE WILL NOT CONSTITUTE A VALID DELIVERY.

     THIS FORM IS NOT TO BE USED TO  GUARANTEE  SIGNATURES.  IF A SIGNATURE ON A
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL IS REQUIRED TO BE GUARANTEED BY AN OELIGIBLE  INSTITUTIONO
UNDER THE INSTRUCTIONS TO SUCH LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL,  SUCH SIGNATURE  GUARANTEE
MUST APPEAR IN THE APPLICABLE  SPACE PROVIDED IN THE SIGNATURE BOX ON THE LETTER
OF TRANSMITTAL.

     THE ELIGIBLE  INSTITUTION  THAT  COMPLETES THIS FORM MUST  COMMUNICATE  THE
GUARANTEE  TO THE  DEPOSITARY  AND MUST  DELIVER THE LETTER OF  TRANSMITTAL  AND
CERTIFICATES  FOR SHARES TO THE DEPOSITARY  WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD SHOWN HEREIN.
FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN A FINANCIAL LOSS TO SUCH ELIGIBLE  INSTITUTION.

              THE GUARANTEE ON THE REVERSE SIDE MUST BE COMPLETED.




Ladies and Gentlemen:

     The  undersigned  hereby  tenders  to HMI  Acquisition  Corp.,  a  Delaware
corporation  (the  "Purchaser") and a direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary
of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., a New York  corporation,  upon the terms and subject
to the conditions set forth in the Purchaser's  Offer to Purchase,  dated August
20,  2001 (the  "Offer to  Purchase"),  and the  related  Letter of  Transmittal
(which,  together with any  amendments or  supplements  thereto,  constitute the
"Offer"),  receipt  of which is hereby  acknowledged,  the  number of shares set
forth below of Class A Common Stock,  par value $0.001 per share (the "Shares"),
of Hungry Minds, Inc., a Delaware  corporation (the OCompanyO),  pursuant to the
guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase.

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Number of Shares of Class A Common
  Stock:_______________________________________________________________________

Certificate Nos. (if available):

Class A Common Stock:__________________________________________________________

Check box if Shares will be tendered by book-entry transfer: [  ]

Account Number:________________________________________________________________

Dated:_________________________________________________________, 2001

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name(s) of Record Holder(s):____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
                                  PLEASE PRINT

Address(es):____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                        ZIP CODE

Area Code and Tel. No.:_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________


Signature(s):___________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________


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                                    GUARANTEE

                    (Not to Be Used for Signature Guarantees)

     The  undersigned,  a participant in the Security  Transfer Agents Medallion
Program,  the New York Stock Exchange Medallion  Signature  Guarantee Program or
the  Stock  Exchange  Medallion  Program  (each,  an  OEligible   InstitutionO),
guarantees to deliver to the Depositary  either  certificates  representing  the
Shares  tendered  hereby,  in  proper  form for  transfer,  or  confirmation  of
book-entry  transfer  of  such  Shares  into  the  Depositary's  account  at The
Depository Trust Company, in each case with delivery of a properly completed and
duly executed Letter of Transmittal,  with any required signature guarantees, or
an  Agent's  Message,  and  any  other  documents  required  by  the  Letter  of
Transmittal,  within  three  trading  days (as defined in the Offer to Purchase)
after the date hereof.

     The Eligible  Institution  that  completes this form must  communicate  the
guarantee  to the  Depositary  and must  deliver the Letter of  Transmittal  and
certificates  for Shares to the  Depositary  within the same time period  stated
herein.  Failure  to do so could  result in a  financial  loss to such  Eligible
Institution.

Name of Firm:________________________  ________________________________________
                                                 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

Address:_____________________________  Name:___________________________________
                                                     PLEASE PRINT

_____________________________________  Title:__________________________________
                             ZIP CODE

Area Code and Tel. No._______________  Date:______________________________,2001


  DO NOT SEND CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES WITH THIS NOTICE. CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE
                   SENT ONLY WITH YOUR LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

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