After nearly twenty years away, Reading Rainbow is returning, and this time, it’s being led by someone who feels like he was born for the role namely Mychal Threets, the viral librarian whose gentle heart and contagious love for reading have inspired millions online. LeVar Burton, the original host was one of the first Black men on television to teach a generation of children that reading was power that imagination was a superpower we all had access to. Now, another Black man, Mychal Threets, steps into that legacy with a message that resonates just as deeply: “You belong.”
Mychal Threets-Image credit: Rob Kim / Getty/ The Webby Awards archives
For many who grew up in the ’80s, 90s, or even the early 2000s, Reading Rainbow wasn’t just a TV show. It was a staple a bright, thoughtful space where books felt alive and curiosity had no limits. LeVar Burton didn’t just read stories; he gave permission to dream, to ask questions, to see a bigger part of the world. The news that Reading Rainbow is returning, now streaming on YouTube through Kidzuko (a children’s media brand under Sony Pictures Television), feels like a bridge between generations. The format is modern short digital episodes, weekly releases, celebrity guests but the soul of the show remains the same: to make reading feel magical again.
Mychal Threets embodies that mission in a way that feels both timeless and of the moment. Known affectionately online as “Mychal the Librarian,” he went viral for videos where he shared small but powerful glimpses of life at the library moments of kindness, acceptance, and pure joy. He reminded people that libraries aren’t just about books; they’re sanctuaries of belonging.
Born and raised in Fairfield, California, Threets grew up surrounded by stories. His deep love for libraries wasn’t an act; it was a calling. He worked his way up at the Fairfield Civic Center Library, eventually becoming supervising librarian. Along the way, he built a community online, millions strong. When he says, “You belong,” it’s not a slogan; it’s a lifeline for anyone who’s ever felt unseen.
LeVar Burton once opened the door, showing what it looked like when a Black man stood before children of every background and said, “Reading is for you.” Now, Mychal Threets is walking through that same door — not to replace, but to continue. And he’s doing it in a time when literacy rates are struggling, school libraries are underfunded, and the internet can feel louder than learning itself. Threets is using the same digital world that often distracts us to remind us what still matters.
The new Reading Rainbow won’t air on traditional TV. It’s streaming on YouTube being free, accessible, and designed for a generation raised with the internet. For children who may not have cable or access to PBS, this is a way in. The show will blend reading with interactive, creative projects from postcard-making to community storytelling inviting kids not just to watch but to participate.
In a media landscape where attention spans are short and educational content struggles to compete, bringing Reading Rainbow back feels bold. It’s not just nostalgia it’s a statement. It says that storytelling still matters. That libraries are still sacred. That kindness can go viral for all the right reasons. And at the center of it all stands Mychal Threets, smiling wide, with that same warmth LeVar Burton carried decades ago. Two generations of Black men, decades apart, connected by one simple, world-changing truth: take a look it’s in a book.
BY: BEWITTY Staff
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