EXHIBIT 12.1



HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY



COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED DIVIDENDS



(dollars in millions)



|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |  | --------------------------- | ------ | - | -------------------------- | ---- | ------ | ------------------------------------------ |  | ----------------------------------------- | ----- |  | ----------------------- | ------ | - |  | - | ----- |  | - | -----
|                                                                                                                              |  | Years endedDecember 31,2003 |        |   | Year EndedDecember 31,2002 |      |        | Period FromJuly 7, 2001 toDecember 31,2001 |  | Period FromJanuary 1, 2001to July 6, 2001 |       |  | Years EndedDecember 31,
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            | 2000 |        | 1999                                      
|Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes                                                                         |  | $                           | (111.4 | ) |                            | $    | (746.1 | )                                          |  | $                                         | 113.3 |  | $                       | (123.1 | ) |  | $ | 101.7 |  | $ | 84.8 
|Fixed Charges:                                                                                                                |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Interest Expense and amortization of debt issuance cost and debt discount and premium on all indebtedness on all indebtedness |  |                             | 112.6  |   |                            |      | 43.0   |                                            |  |                                           | 26.2  |  |                         | 18.5   |   |  |   | 33.0  |  |   | 30.3 
|Interest portion of rent expense(a)                                                                                           |  |                             | 11.2   |   |                            |      | 10.0   |                                            |  |                                           | 3.2   |  |                         | 4.1    |   |  |   | 6.9   |  |   | 6.3  
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Total Fixed Charges                                                                                                           |  |                             | 123.8  |   |                            |      | 53.0   |                                            |  |                                           | 29.4  |  |                         | 22.6   |   |  |   | 39.9  |  |   | 36.6 
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Pre-tax income from continuing operations before fixed charges                                                                |  |                             | 12.4   |   |                            |      | (693.1 | )                                          |  |                                           | 142.7 |  |                         | (100.5 | ) |  |   | 141.6 |  |   | 121.4
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Preferred dividend and associated redemption costs (pre-tax)                                                                  |  |                             |       |   |                            |      | 14.0   |                                            |  |                                           | 1.5   |  |                         |       |   |  |   |      |  |   |     
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Total fixed charges and preferred dividends and associated redemption costs                                                   |  | $                           | 123.8  |   |                            | $    | 67.0   |                                            |  | $                                         | 30.9  |  | $                       | 22.6   |   |  | $ | 39.9  |  | $ | 36.6 
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred dividends and associated redemption costs                           |  |                             | (a     | ) |                            |      | (b     | )                                          |  |                                           | 4.6   |  |                         | (b     | ) |  |   | 3.6   |  |   | 3.3  
|                                                                                                                              |  |                             |        |   |                            |      |        |                                            |  |                                           |       |  |                         |        |   |  |   |       |  |   |      
|Ratio coverage deficiency                                                                                                     |  | $                           | 111.4  |   |                            | $    | 760.1  |                                            |  |                                           |       |  | $                       | 123.1  |   |  |   |       |  |   |      

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|(a) | Includes 1/3of rent expense for each period
presented as deemed by management to be the interest component of such rentals.
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|(b) | Due to the loss from operations for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002 and the period from January 1, 2001 to July 6, 2001, there were insufficient earnings of $111.4
million, $760.1 million, and $123.1 million, respectively, to cover fixed charges.
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