Reading Rainbow Is Back: The Best Books From the Show by Age, and Where to Watch Free

Yes, Reading Rainbow is back. According to Complex, a new season hosted by Mychal Threets ("Mychal the Librarian") started on the official YouTube channel on 16 October 2026, and every episode is free to watch.

It's the first batch from Sony Pictures Television's 24-episode order, which TheWrap reported in February 2026. It includes a Halloween episode called "Spooky Stories".

Below I've listed the classic Reading Rainbow books I'd hunt down for each age group, where to stream the show, and some modern read-alikes.

Where to watch Reading Rainbow free

• YouTube: the official Reading Rainbow channel has the new episodes. You don't need a separate login or a subscription.
• Official site: readingrainbow.org/new-episodes, plus the watch-by-theme pages. But the episode list shows no dates, mixing 2025 and 2026 uploads.
• Kidzuko: Sony's kids' YouTube channel carries shortened versions.
• PBS Retro (US): reruns of the original LeVar Burton episodes, free on Prime Video, Roku, TCL and Vizio.

Not every classic episode is online. The original show ended partly because licensing books for on-air reading was so expensive, and those rights still limit what can be streamed.

The best Reading Rainbow book picks by age

Ages 3–5

• Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat: the very first episode in 1983. It's a sweet story about the nerves of moving house.
• Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema: a cumulative rhyme that toddlers learn by heart in no time.
• I'm So Happy You're Here by Mychal Threets: the new host's own picture book (February 2026). It's a warm welcome-to-the-library read.

Ages 5–8

• Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe: a gorgeous fairy tale. The illustrations do most of the talking.
• Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams: a road-trip book with maps, recipes and plenty of charm.
• Louis the Fish by Arthur Yorinks: deliciously odd. Some kids adore it and some find it baffling, so read it together.

Ages 7–10

• The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen: it's still the best way I know to make geology fun.
• The Gift of the Sacred Dog by Paul Goble: a quieter, more reflective pick.
• More Than Peach by Bellen Woodard: written by a young author who was a guest in the 2025 revival. It's a lovely nudge for kids who want to write their own books.

Modern read-alikes

If you want to build the habit for yourself too, my list of books that help you build a reading habit is a good place to start. If you're after cheaper ebooks, here's my explainer on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle+.

What happens next for Reading Rainbow

• 10 November 2026: LeVar Burton's memoir Take My Word for It comes out from Random House. It's a 352-page hardcover co-written with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts. Burton narrates the audiobook himself, which runs about 10 hours. The title comes from his famous line, "But you don't have to take my word for it."
• More episodes: the rest of the 24-episode order should keep coming out on YouTube, with shorter cuts on Kidzuko.
• Threets' next book: Grey and the Library Van has been reported for 12 January 2027.

Which Reading Rainbow book did you grow up with? Tell me in the comments, and do browse more picks on Book Blabber. Happy reading, and see you in the next post!

FAQs about Reading Ranbow

Q. Is Reading Rainbow back in 2026?

Yes. A new season hosted by Mychal Threets started on the official Reading Rainbow YouTube channel on 16 October 2026, according to Complex. It belongs to a 24-episode order from Sony Pictures Television that was announced in February 2026. The show is produced by Embassy Row with Buffalo Toronto Public Media, which now owns the brand.

Q. Can I watch Reading Rainbow free in the UK, India or other countries?

Yes. The new episodes are free on the official Reading Rainbow YouTube channel and on readingrainbow.org, and both work in India and the UK. PBS Retro shows reruns of the original LeVar Burton episodes on Prime Video, Roku, TCL and Vizio in the US.

Q. Why isn't LeVar Burton hosting the new Reading Rainbow?

The brand belongs to the public broadcaster (first WNED, now Buffalo Toronto Public Media), not to Burton. WNED sued him in 2017, partly over his podcast's use of the catchphrase, and the case settled that October with Burton keeping the line. Former California librarian Mychal Threets was named the new host in September 2025.

Q. Why was the original Reading Rainbow cancelled?

The PBS series ran from 1983 to 2006, with reruns until 28 August 2009. It ended because licensing books for on-air reading was expensive, and because federal Ready-to-Learn funding moved towards phonics and skills programmes under No Child Left Behind. Across its 155 episodes it won 26 Emmys and a Peabody.

Q. When is LeVar Burton's memoir released?

Take My Word for It comes out on 10 November 2026 from Random House. It's a 352-page hardcover co-written with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts. Burton narrates the audiobook himself, which runs about 10 hours. The title comes from his famous Reading Rainbow line, "But you don't have to take my word for it."

Q. Who sang the Reading Rainbow theme song?

Three singers performed the theme over the years. Tina Fabrique sang the original version from 1983 to 1999, Johnny Kemp sang it in 1999, and Chaka Khan's version was used from 2000 onwards. For most people who grew up with the show in the 1980s and 1990s, Fabrique's version is the one they remember.

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