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Who Is Michael Threatt and What Is His Connection to Reading Rainbow?
Michael Threatt is a librarian who was named the new host of Reading Rainbow on PBS. He grew up homeschooled and became a devoted fan of the original host LeVar Burton — a passion that eventually shaped his entire career. He is now the supervising librarian at the same library where he got his very first library card as a child.
From Homeschooled LeVar Burton Fan to Children's Librarian
Threatt's path to Reading Rainbow is a straight line drawn across decades. Growing up homeschooled, the original PBS series — and its host LeVar Burton — became a formative presence in his education. That early connection to books and broadcasting didn't fade.
He became a children's librarian, then a marketing librarian, and ultimately the supervising librarian at the very institution where he first discovered the library as a kid. His devotion to libraries is deep enough that, by the time he received his first book tattoo at age 24, he already held close to 40 library cards — and he had been collecting tattoos for almost 12 years by the time of his interview.
This story — the full-circle journey from homeschooled fan to PBS host — was highlighted in Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! as one of the standout moments from the first half of 2026.
A Life Built Around Libraries — and a Full-Circle Moment
Being named the new host of Reading Rainbow is not an abstract career milestone for Threatt. It connects directly to the show that helped shape him as a reader, a learner, and eventually a librarian. LeVar Burton hosted the original series for 23 seasons, and that legacy clearly left a deep mark.
The detail that Threatt now works at the library where he got his first library card as a child gives his appointment a particular resonance — and it's exactly the kind of story that Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! surfaces in its summer spectacular highlights.
"As somebody with a mild case of cerebral palsy, the marching with the tuba that I selected as my instrument was a horrendous idea."
Jason Benetti — Play-by-play announcer, Sunday Night Baseball (NBC)
Benetti grew up in Chicago and first went on air at Syracuse University's student radio station in 2003 — the same NPR-affiliated station that launched the careers of Bob Costas, Marv Albert, and Sean McDonough. His band director at Homewood Flossmoor High School, recognizing his disability prevented him from marching with the tuba, put him behind a microphone to announce the band's set instead — an early, accidental audition for a broadcasting career. He spent years as the play-by-play voice of the Chicago White Sox, then the Detroit Tigers, before becoming the voice of NBC's Sunday Night Baseball in 2026. His appearance on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was featured as part of the show's 2026 summer spectacular.
The segment on Threatt and the segment on Benetti both appeared in the same summer highlights episode, recorded live at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago and produced by WBEZ Chicago — a reminder that this podcast consistently finds stories that sit at the intersection of culture, career, and unexpected personal history.
See also
Why did Jason Benetti leave the Chicago White Sox broadcast booth?
Benetti left the White Sox and joined the Detroit Tigers — and the White Sox subsequently recorded the worst record in the modern era for a baseball team.
What is the most unusual sporting event Jason Benetti ever had to broadcast?
Benetti was called to do play-by-play and post-production from a studio for the National Electrician's Championships. His analyst was Scott Karen.
What was Jason Benetti's connection to NPR early in his broadcasting career?
The student radio station at Syracuse University — where famous sportscasters like Bob Costas, Marv Albert, and Sean McDonough came through — was an NPR station where Benetti first went on air in 2003.
Key takeaways
- Michael Threatt is a librarian appointed as the new host of Reading Rainbow on PBS, the show that shaped him growing up as a homeschooled child.
- His admiration for original host LeVar Burton directly fueled a career path that took him from children's librarian to marketing librarian to supervising librarian.
- He now works at the same library where he received his first library card as a kid — a genuine full-circle moment.
- By age 24, Threatt already held close to 40 library cards and had begun collecting book tattoos — a tangible measure of his lifelong commitment to libraries.
The full story — and the rest of the 2026 summer highlights — is waiting for you on Listenly.
Listen to the episode on Listenly