After nearly two decades off the air, the beloved children’s television show Reading Rainbow is making a triumphant return, promising to inspire a new generation of readers. The reboot, which premieres October 4, 2025, on the KidZuko YouTube channel, will be hosted by Mychal Threets—a librarian, literacy advocate, and social media sensation known as "Mychal the Librarian." This marks only the second time in the show’s storied history that someone other than LeVar Burton, the original host, will guide children through the magical world of books.
The announcement, made on September 29, 2025, sent ripples of excitement through fans old and new. Threets, who hails from Fairfield, California, and previously worked at the Fairfield Civic Center Library, shared his enthusiasm on Instagram, stating, "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." According to KTVU, Threets’ journey from shelving books in his hometown library to becoming a viral advocate for literacy has made him a source of pride for the Fairfield community, with local officials expressing their support and excitement for his new role.
The new iteration of Reading Rainbow will feature four episodes, released weekly on Saturdays at 10 a.m. Eastern through October 25, 2025. The show is set to deliver not only the classic joy of reading but also fresh elements such as engaging projects—think postcards and sidewalk libraries—to further motivate young viewers. In a trailer shared by the show and its new host, Threets exclaims, "Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course… new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow." The hashtag #FollowTheRainbow quickly gained traction among fans online.
The reboot is pulling out all the stops with a star-studded lineup of celebrity narrators and guests. According to PEOPLE and TODAY.com, viewers can expect appearances from "Dancing With the Stars’" Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa, 14-year-old author Bellen Woodard, actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and narrations by Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam DeVine, Chrissy Teigen, and John Legend. These well-known personalities will lend their voices to new books, bringing stories to life and reinforcing the show’s enduring message: reading is for everyone.
But why is Reading Rainbow returning now? The answer lies partly in the current educational landscape. Recent data from "The Nation’s Report Card" reveals that reading scores in the U.S. continue to decline. In 2024, average reading scores for both 4th and 8th graders dropped by two points compared to 2022, compounding a three-point decline since 2019. As S.C. Patrick Kelly, an AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher, told Parents.com, "Student academic achievement is the cornerstone of national success and security. This makes a lack of academic progress today a direct and urgent threat to our collective future." He continued, "The continued declines in reading scores are particularly troubling. Reading is foundational to all subjects, and failure to read well keeps students from accessing information and building knowledge across content areas."
It’s not just about scores, either. The original Reading Rainbow was created in 1983 as a direct response to the "summer loss phenomena," where students lost reading skills over the summer break. The show quickly became the most-watched PBS program in classrooms and a cultural icon, winning a Peabody Award and an astonishing 26 Daytime Emmys before ending its original run in 2006. According to PEOPLE, LeVar Burton, the show’s legendary first host, once reflected, "As a Black man who comes from people for whom it would have been illegal to have the facility of literacy, to have grown up and become a symbol of literacy, an acknowledged advocate for literacy, especially childhood literacy in this country, that’s no small thing in my view."
This new chapter for Reading Rainbow comes amid shifting media landscapes and financial realities. The reboot will air exclusively on KidZuko, a YouTube channel operated by Sony Pictures Television, rather than PBS. This move to digital-only programming is, in part, a response to a $1.1 billion cut in federal funding for public broadcasting. As The Washington Post notes, the original series was a staple in schools and public television stations nationwide, but the new digital format aims to reach children where they are now—online.
For Threets, the opportunity to host Reading Rainbow is deeply personal. He has been open about his journey, including his decision to step down from his librarian position in February 2024 to focus on his mental health. "This is the place where I’ve always felt safe, where I’ve always felt like I belong," Threets shared, as reported by KTVU, in a heartfelt message about prioritizing well-being. On social media, he has used his platform to destigmatize mental health issues and empower others to seek help. His authenticity and advocacy have only endeared him further to fans and the literacy community.
The original Reading Rainbow remains available for streaming on various PBS platforms, including pbs.org, the PBS KIDS Video app, and smart TVs. The reboot, meanwhile, will be accompanied by companion vertical videos and additional digital content to keep young viewers engaged beyond the main episodes. Threets, who currently serves as the resident librarian for PBS Kids, is poised to bring "library joy" and a renewed focus on reading to a generation growing up in a world saturated with screens and fast-paced content. As Parents.com reported, studies have shown that slower-paced educational programming can help children develop executive function skills, a point that the new Reading Rainbow seems ready to embrace.
In the words of Threets, "We’re so excited to start exploring the world of books together." With a blend of nostalgia, star power, and a renewed mission to foster literacy, Reading Rainbow is set to make a vibrant return—reminding us all that, no matter how much the world changes, there’s still magic to be found in a good book.
