'Reading Rainbow' to return, with viral librarian Mychal Threets as its host

Young readers can once again be like butterflies in the sky.

Young readers can once again be like butterflies in the sky.

“Reading Rainbow,” a show that previously aired on PBS and was hosted by the beloved actor LeVar Burton, is returning nearly two decades after it ended its original run.

This time around, a new host is taking the helm: Mychal Threets, the internet's favorite librarian and literacy advocate.

Threets, the former Solano County, California, library supervisor who has gained a massive following online in recent years, became known for sharing daily interactions at the library and talking openly about his mental health challenges.

Launched in July 1983, "Reading Rainbow" was created to motivate children to find joy in reading during summer recess from school, according to ReadingRainbow.org. It won a Peabody Award and multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. After 21 seasons and 155 episodes, it was canceled in November 2006.