Tag: Mychal the Librarian

The PBS program Reading Rainbow, is back after nearly 20 years to teach a new generation of readers

Reading Rainbow, a program that launched in 1983 to encourage children to read, will be getting a reboot after nearly 20 years, with new host Mychal Threets. The show originally launched as a summer program designed to combat the “summer loss phenomena” where children lose some of their reading skills every summer due to lack of reading.

Reading Rainbow soon became a regular program, eventually growing to be a household name and a classroom staple that encouraged children to discuss literature and visit the library. The show became the third-longest-running children’s TV series in US history, reaching more than 2 million people per week, as well as the most-watched PBS program in the classroom, featuring a library of over 150 programs.

In the show’s 26-year run with host LeVar Burton, Reading Rainbow won more than 250 awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, Telly Awards, Parents’ and Teachers’ Choice Awards, and 26 Emmys, including 10 for Outstanding Series.

In 2022, the documentary “Butterfly In The Sky” highlighted the impact and legacy of Reading Rainbow. Reading Rainbow was canceled in 2006 due to a combination of funding issues and failure to adapt to new technology. 

Announced September 29, Reading Rainbow will be returning to PBS with new host Mychal Threets, aka Mychal the Librarian, an internet sensation. Threets is a Bay Area native who grew up watching Reading Rainbow. As a child, he attended the Fairfield Civic Center Library, and after receiving a master’s degree in Library and Information Science he became the Children’s Librarian at his childhood library.

Threets explained, “I was raised on Reading Rainbow, LeVar Burton is my hero. I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere”. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Threets started making videos for TikTok and Instagram about why the library is a vital resource and place for joy. He amassed over 2 million followers across all platforms, with his cheery personality and joy towards reading and the library.

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His videos are for both children and adults as he also provides helpful information on library resources such as tax assistance, legal help and equipment rentals. He was honored with the “I Love My Librarian Award” by the American Library Association in 2023 for his outstanding public service. In 2024, Threets was named Resident Librarian at PBS, eventually stepping down from his role at the Fairfield Civic Center Library.

Threets has started an online book club, a podcast titled “Thoughts about Feelings” and has a children’s book titled “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” set to debut in 2026. Threets is a loud advocate for libraries and access to learning, as he takes after LeVar Burton and has spoken with Congress to keep access to PBS alive. 

The reboot, which will start airing on October 4 and run through October 25 with new episodes every Saturday, will incorporate new formats such as hands-on crafting instructions and other interactive activities to better reach the audience.

New episodes of Reading Rainbow will be available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS app, as well as Kidzuko, Sony Pictures Television’s children’s YouTube channel. Both new and old episodes of Reading Rainbow will be available on PBS Retro FAST channel which is available on Amazon Prime Video, Roku, TCL and Vizio.

Along with the added interactive elements, the show will feature new celebrities, including Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa, from Dancing With The Stars, Bellen Woodard, the 14-year-old author of “More Than Peach”, and actor Ebon-Moss Bachrach.

New books will also be narrated by Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam Devine, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. It is safe to say, Reading Rainbow is in good hands with Mychal Threets, and will help a new generation of children learn to love reading.