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Reading Rainbow<\/em> host Mychal Threets has returned to social media with an update after spending five days in the hospital, telling followers that he is safe and hopeful even though he does not consider himself okay yet.<\/p>\n The 36-year-old librarian and literacy advocate described the stay as a \u201cfive-day psychiatric hold\u201d in a video shared August 22. According to PEOPLE<\/a>, he thanked the doctors, nurses and mental health workers who cared for him and told them, \u201cYou saved my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Threets had told followers on August 17 that he was \u201cnot OK\u201d and planned to go to a hospital to seek help. He also emphasized at the time that he was safe and expressed gratitude for the people supporting him.<\/p>\n Threets said getting to a place where he feels okay will take time, while offering a direct update to the people who had been worried about him.<\/p>\n A post shared by Mychal (@mychal3ts)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n \nIn his latest video, Threets apologized for worrying people and said he had just returned from five days in the hospital. \u201cI haven\u2019t been OK for what feels like a very, very long time,\u201d he said. \u201cI am not OK, but I have hope I will get to OK.\u201d<\/p>\n Threets stressed that he did not expect an immediate recovery, saying it was \u201cgonna take a long time\u201d before he felt okay. He then thanked the medical professionals who had treated him, along with his family, friends and followers.<\/p>\n He also returned to one of the phrases he has used while discussing difficult periods: \u201cThree, six, nine, it\u2019s OK to not be fine.\u201d Threets told viewers that people struggle because they are human and \u201cdoing our best,\u201d before thanking them for staying.<\/p>\n A post shared by TEDxSanDiego (@tedxsandiego)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n One day before Threets shared his own post-hospital update, TEDxSanDiego announced that he would no longer participate in its August 27 event, which is built around the theme of \u201cJOY.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMychal has shared publicly that he is taking time to focus on his health and well-being,\u201d organizers wrote in a joint Instagram post with Threets, according to the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>. \u201cWe fully support his decision to step away and get the care he needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Author Kelly Yang also gave followers an update on August 21 after speaking with Threets. Yang said he had left the hospital and was taking things \u201cone step at a time,\u201d adding that she was proud of him. She also noted that he was not checking social media at the time.<\/p>\n Threets became widely known online through videos celebrating libraries, books and what he calls \u201clibrary joy.\u201d He worked his way from shelving books at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in California to becoming supervising librarian at the same branch, before leaving his Solano County Library position in 2024 and later becoming PBS’ first resident librarian.<\/p>\n His profile grew further when he was chosen to host the digital revival of Reading Rainbow<\/em>, succeeding LeVar Burton, who hosted the original children’s literacy series from 1983 to 2006.<\/p>\n The revived Reading Rainbow<\/em> debuted in October 2025 with four episodes released through Sony Pictures Television’s Kidzuko YouTube channel. Those initial installments generated nearly 5 million views.<\/p>\n Sony Pictures Television announced in February 2026 that it had ordered 24 additional episodes with Threets returning as host. The expanded run will continue featuring children’s books and celebrity guests, although a premiere date for the new episodes has not yet been announced.<\/p>\nThreets Says He Is \u2018Not OK\u2019 but Still Has Hope<\/h2>\n
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He Stepped Away From an Upcoming TEDxSanDiego Appearance<\/h2>\n
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Threets\u2019 \u2018Reading Rainbow\u2019 Revival Is Expanding<\/h2>\n