New Addiction: LeVar Burton Reads on Stitcher

I am a PBS kid. And Reading Rainbow was, without a doubt, the best kids' show on PBS when I was a kid. Sure, I loved Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, but there was just something special about LeVar Burton and his simple delight in books. I still remember my favorite episode, in which LeVar read A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. For me, LeVar's voice is like being wrapped in a warm, beloved blanket.

When the podcast LeVar Burton Reads showed up in my Stitcher feed a few weeks ago, I freaking flipped. It was like finding out that my most treasured thing as a child was made into an adult version that I could take with me anywhere, anytime. The podcast is sponsored by Audible and it's beyond great.

Like Reading Rainbow, Levar's podcast is simple: he picks an adult short story and then he reads the story in some kind of fantastic recording studio that makes it sound like he's sitting next to you on a couch reading into your ear. He even makes you take a deep breath before he gets started and sums up his thoughts at the end. It's like therapy.

So far, I've only been able to listen to a few episodes, but each one has been great. The producers of the show have added subtle sound effects, which, if you were a Reading Rainbow aficionado like myself, you'd remember was one of the hallmarks of the show. It's a great way to spend the time instead of listening to pop music or the ever-present nightmare we call the news.

Here's the link to get in on this yourself. Try not to cry after Episode 11: The Paper Menagerie. 

LeVar Burton Reads is amazing. But you don't have to take my word for it!

❤❤❤