Numerous celebrities have stepped forward over the past few weeks to offer to read to us (and our children). Actor Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf, was among the first to begin reading to kids live over Twitter and Instagram. Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams started the #SAVEWITHSTORIES campaign to encourage a slew of celebrities to read to us. Even Dolly Parton is willing to distract us once a week with a bedtime story. But LeVar Burton? His is the voice we need right now.
Burton announced on Twitter yesterday that he will read to us three times a week: on Mondays at noon (Eastern) for children; on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. (for young adults); and on Fridays at 9 p.m. for the grown-ups among us.
Tweet may have been deleted
He says Friday, April 4 in that tweet, but of course he means Friday, April 3. Because Friday is the third. “Apologies…” he tweeted in the announcement’s thread. “It’s been a very long day…” Oh, LeVar, it has. It has.
Burton, you surely remember, was the longtime host of the popular PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow, which encouraged kids to read. You also absolutely already know that he played Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as Kunta Kinte in the TV miniseries Roots. Most recently, he hosts the podcast LeVar Burton Reads, which features short fiction that is handpicked and read by Burton.
Let’s remember that Burton has always had our backs. Way back in 1986, he introduced us to a book titled Germs Make Me Sick, which you can still buy today:
It’s like he knew.
Anyway, the real help arrives on Friday and will continue, hopefully, as long as we need it.
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