Reading Rainbow

As part of his birthday celebration, LeVar gets made-up like a movie monster, and then gets involved in Harry Blackstones magic act. Ruth Buzzi reads Miss Nelson Is Back, all about a group of rowdy students who try to take advantage of their teachers absence when shes out sick one day, and how she gets revenge on them by pretending to be "the meanest teacher in the world, Viola Swamp."

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain

Technically not the first science-related show in its history, LeVar seeks a place where archaeologists retrieve dinosaur bones. At the end of the program, LeVar buries a time capsule, containing (among other things) a can of old Coke and his picture. Linda Gilman reads Digging Up Dinosaurs, a story about how paleontologists unearth dinosaurs skeletons and preserve them in museum exhibits.

In the featured book, a young boy and his family move from New York City to the Southwest and he has many misconceptions about what his new home is like.

The first of many programs favoring Native Americans. In this instance, a Midwestern legend suggests how horses arrived to the tribe. Later in this episode is the song "Ancient Places, Sacred Lands" which lists several words originating from various locations of the United States and the tribal meaning of their names.

Three by the Sea

The Day Jimmys Boa Ate the Wash

LeVar goes to South Carolina to ride a hot-air balloon. In another study of how air travel has advanced, schoolchildren visit the Space Camp for Aspiring Young Astronauts. William Windom reads the story of Hot-Air Henry, the misadventures of a cat who sneaks on board his familys hot air balloon and how he gets back down again.

Ox-Cart Man

A Chair for My Mother

The Patchwork Quilt

LeVar has entered a bicycle race. Hes in competition not just with the other bikers, but with himself as well. This program also includes a lengthy piece on a karate class. Comedienne Gilda Radner reads the Aesops tale of "The Tortoise and the Hare," about an arrogant rabbit thats over confident that he can beat a determined turtle in a foot race.

LeVar goes to a 24-hour diner to look into night jobs, and profiles people who have occupations in the evening and early morning hours, like radio DJs, bakers, cab drivers, and police officers. In a separate story, a man ventures into a cave to see bats and other nocturnal animals. Martin Short narrates the story of "Animal Cafe," about a cat and dog who operate a third shift restaurant for all the animals in their neighborhood while keeping it a secret from their human owner.

Pictures, dialogues, poems, and stories portray a variety of emotions we all feel - jealousy, sadness, fear, anger, joy, love, etc. Also includes Lets Make Music, Feeling Sad, Meet Koko and Penny and book reviews for Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems, Fireflies! and Loudmouth George and the Sixth-Grade Bully.

When Miles gets a saxophone for his birthday, neither his parents nor his neighborhood can stand the racket! No one guesses whats in store for them, when Miles and his Swamp Band receive and invitation to play at the Alligator Ball. Also includes Alligator Farm, Meet Fred Newman, Visit the Creole Queen, and The Saxophone Player and book reviews for Miranda, Apt. 3 and Alligator Shoes.

LeVar spends a day at the dairy seeing how cows are milked and understanding what care cows need. Alaina Reed Hall reads the story of The Milk Makers, detailing how milk is collected from cows, processed in dairies and sent to grocery stores

LeVar goes on a search for microorganisms, distinguishing the good ones from the bad. An animated satire of Hill Street Blues (which ran 1981-1987) shows white blood cells ready to fight germs. Molly Mandlin reads Germs Make Me Sick!, explaining how people can catch colds and diseases from exposure to germs.

LeVar visits a beehive to look into beekeeping and how honey is made. Barbara Feldon narrates The Life Cycle of the Honeybee, which goes into detail about how bees make hives in natural habitats such as trees.

LeVar wants to find the answer to the old question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Posing as field reporter for E.G.G.-TV , he uncovers other discoveries instead, such as loggerhead sea turtles emerging onto the sand to lay eggs. Georgia Engel narrates Chickens Arent the Only Ones, a book told in rhyme showing all kinds of animals who lay eggs like chickens.

In a small boat on the Chesapeake Bay, LeVar is on the lookout for ducks who are spending the winter. During the trip, he gets a chance to see a duck up close and show how a couple turns a block of wood into a duck. Orson Bean reads The Runaway Duck, a story of a toy duck named Egbert who gets tied to a car by accident and how he then travels all over the world when the car drives off.

This looks like an extension of the previous episode, but it is a separate venture. LeVar appears in proper attire for an English Renaissance festival. Ralph Waite reads the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a poor millers daughter who is stuck between a greedy king and a conniving elf to get out of a difficult situation.

LeVar travels to an old west town made to look like life in the 1880s to see how times have changed in the last 100 years. He explores how cowboys lived and traveled, and he also shows how stunt riders practice tricks on their horses for western movies. Hoyt Axton reads the featured book, a story told in comparisons about a rancher who decides to spend the day in a town 84 miles from home, and the strange happenings at his ranch back home while his wife stayed home to plant potatoes.

In both the featured story and on the set of the show "Star Trek: the Next Generation" (which LeVar also stars on) we learn how TV shows are made and how actors in costumes and special effects can make imaginary things seem real.

LeVar tries to have lunch at a diner, but soon finds himself thrust into work. For some reason, he just doesnt understand luncheonette lingo.

In New York again, LeVar goes to get a tailor-made jacket. In between comes a visit to the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Theres more to the cat than meets the eye. It culminates with one of the stars of what was then believed to be Broadways permanence: CATS. Jane Curtain narrates the featured book about a girl who wants a cat. In the story, Duncan and Dolores learn how to be themselves and earn each others friendship.

A camel is out of place in Boston, but LeVar rides one in preparation for a show that takes a close look at mummies. Corrine Orr narrates "Mummies Made in Egypt", a book that gives all the facts about what mummies are, how the ancient Egyptians were mummified, and what they resembled three thousand years ago.

LeVar is sailing on the Atlantic coast whale watching. He and a team of scientists learn about how whales eat and how they live in their habitats in the ocean. Jane Pauley narrates the true story of Humphrey, the Lost Whale, all about a humpback whale who gets separated from his pod and gets stuck under a bridge over the Sacramento River.

LeVar makes a pizza, while "The Wonder Years" star Josh Saviano reads a story about about a boy whos father runs a pizzeria.

Its spring 1989, and LeVar gets in the training camp of the Oakland Athletics (back when it was Tony LaRussa, Dave Stewart, Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach) for a program on baseball. Edward Asner reads the story of a family who meets a dinosaur who they soon find out loves to play baseball.

LeVar explores the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, photographing its natural environment and learning about how animals in the desert adapt to this kind of climate. Philip Basco narrates the feature book on the natural world of the famous desert cactus, the giant saguaro.

Focusing on planes in this episode, LeVar takes a flying lesson and flies a plane himself. Also included: the activities of a top-notch airline in flight, as well as a look at the people who made the dream of flying come true, like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindburgh. Alex Borg and David Hyman read the story of two boys who decide to build their own airplane, using household items, after their mother sends them outside to play when they complain of being bored.

Burton introduces the episode by talking about cavern and cave exploring. The featured book, "The Magic School Bus Inside The Earth", is narrated by Keshia Knight Pulliam. Eccentric Ms. Frizzle takes her students on a science field trip to the center of the earth while teaching them about geology. Burton then visits California Caverns, where he learns about stalagmites, stalactites, and other crystal formations and goes spelunking with a cave expert.

Wheels are set in motion for this program. In-line skating, then a brand-new commodity, get featured side-by-side with bicycles. Tom Matsusaka narrates The Bicycle Man, a story about an American soldier who visits Japan and performs amazing tricks on a bicycle.

A hurricane of the coast of Florida in 1662 caused the Atocha, a Spanish galleon to sink. This book describes the many-years-long search for the treasure believed to be on it. Also contains The Atocha, The Titanic and book reviews for The Titanic: Lost... and Found, A Day Underwater and Whats in the Deep? An Underwater Adventure.

LeVar is a taxi driver in New York for a day, but the focus of this show soon lands on the subject of a service dog as well as how dogs are such good pets to us. Vincent Gardenia reads the story of an adopted stray dog who helps his new owner, a cab driver, get better tips when he entertains the customers on rides.

Viewers learn the many uses for wire: from creating objects of wire art and transporting people on the longest tramway in the world, to playing an integral part in a circus act.

In this episode, all is not what it seems as LeVar demonstrates optical illusions from the book by Arline and Joseph Baum. He also shows how special effects are created for television; meets artist Christian Thee, who paints trompe loeil, or "trick-the-eye," paintings; and shows clips of kids creating their own optical illusions as well as camouflage tricks that animals use to deceive predators.

Turning even crazier, the show plays with our heads in more ways than one. LeVar is the "Head reporter" of a mock-news program called "HEADline News Report" and "reports" on a truly head-spinning array of all things ridiculous about the head. Included is a "Head-to-Head" interview with The Grateful Head, a fictitious musical group of singing heads...no necks, just heads. They sing a song called, "I Aint Got No Body." Marilyn Pasekoff reads the featured story of a vain French woman, trying to win a fancy hat contest, unwittingly has a miniature sailing ship land on her head, and wins the contest when the judges mistake the boat for her head ornament.

LeVar travels to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is a perfect spot for a few poetry readings and winter observations. Some of which include sledding down hills, playing in the snow, building snow-people, and even meeting someone who races in the famous Iditarod.

LeVar visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, and discusses its historical significance to helping people learn about the service men and woman who died in the war. Artist Mia Lin, who designed the black granite wall, is profiled as she describes the reasons she chose the materials and design style for the monument. Jason Ruggiero reads the featured story of a boy who accompanies his father to the monument to search for his paternal grandfathers name on the wall, and his observations of other visitors.

LeVar takes up decorating eggs and shows us that theyre one of natures extraordinary wonders. The author of the featured book shows us how she got the idea for the story. We also see how animals in nature hatch their eggs.

LeVar discusses the weather: how it is traced, tracked, and covered in the media. Kids our shown how they can make a "soda bottle tornado", how a barometer works, and read the book, "Come a Tide". All this is prelude to the dramatic footage of Hurricane Hugo as it wrought havoc on South Carolina in 1989.

LeVar journeys to the shores of Sanibel Island, off the Gulf Coast of Florida, to witness the tides, feel the sand, and examine some plant life.

LeVar cruises the musical realms of New York in a program featuring the Boys Choir of Harlem. James Avery narrates the tale of Berlioz the Bear, a story about a bass-playing bear who gets in a jam. His animal friends who play music help him out, but all fail until a bee from inside Berliozs bass saves the day.

As LeVar discusses his favorite parts of a newspaper and interviews other people for different viewpoints, other functions of a newspaper staff are explored. Cartoonist Ray Billingsley, who draws Curtis, shows how he illustrates a comic, and a high school newspaper staff is profiled making a weekly publication.

LeVar explores the rain forest and animals in their habitats by visiting a park that recreates the rain forest environment artificially to make the animals comfortable. This episode also includes a film of scientists who study the regions animals from above by climbing inside a trees canopy. Lynne Thigpen reads The Salamander Room, about a little boy who finds a small newt while on a nature walk, and all the rationalizing he does to convince his mother to let him keep the salamander as a pet by turning his bedroom into a model rain forest.

LeVar reflects on a time when Africans were brought to America as slaves. He talks about how African-Americans risked their lives for freedom, and discusses how the music from slavery times effected the African culture. Keith David reads the featured story, which explains that the African-American folk song, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," was in fact a coded message to slaves giving them instructions on how to take the Underground Railroad north to states that abolished slavery.

LeVar sets out to build a bird house, prompting an examination of animal habitats. Eartha Kitt reads the story of a growing hermit crab, who is now too large for his current shell, and all the difficulties he has trying to find a new place to live, all the while trying to avoid predators who want to eat him.

Whats fact and whats fiction? Whats the truth and whats absurd? LeVar looks into unusual stories and tries to distinguish the actual news from fabrications. Charles Kimbrough reads a story (set in the future from the time the show was originally broadcast) about a young girls science experiment to grow vegetable seeds in space, and how weeks later the country was inundated with giant plants falling from the sky.

LeVar spends the day in a barrio in East Los Angeles studying Mexican culture as he visits friends who make their own guitars, eats some traditional food, and discusses the cultural differences that are practiced in both Mexico and the US. Olga Merediz reads Borreguita and the Coyote, the tale of a clever lamb who continually outsmarts a coyote determined to eat her.

There is still use to a tree stump, as the feature book entails. Eli Wallach reads the story about the lifetime of a tree, and how different animals and people made use of the tree during its many stages, from sapling to tall tree to a cut down stump.

Young people who emigrated to the United States from Asian countries are interviewed and discuss having to learn a new language and fitting in with other children their age while dealing with language and cultural barriers. Rona Figueroa reads the story of The Lotus Seed, about a woman who flees her native country during wartime and manages to save only one memento, a lotus seed given to her by her mother from the garden she tended for the emperor.

LeVar discusses bats and the importance of sleep. The featured story is of a bat who is separated from her family and adopted by a bird.

Once again the show looks into firsts in air travel, recounting great pilots such as Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart and the featured books heroine, Ruth Law. Linda Lavin narrates the story of Ruth Law, who traveled from Chicago to New York City in a single engine airplane, without benefit of headlights to keep the weight down, in the early 20th century, in two days.

A telephone call has distracted LeVar just as he was about to show the viewers a book about cats. While LeVars away, his dog, Luke, has the ability to talk and take over her hosting duties. Jo Hayden narrates the story of a dog who has the ability to talk after eating all that alphabet soup. Featuring Charles Fleischer as the voice of Luke.

LeVar is back in New York (as he always seems to be), this time on Broadway. Its a sign mecca, and part of this program shows the making of a huge advertisement. Jamie Farr tells the story about a cranky sign painter who has a revelation about his job when hes asked to commission a sign for free as a good gesture.

Homelessness is discussed as families have lost jobs and homes through tragic circumstances. One family, who lost their home in a fire and now reside in a shelter, is profiled. Daniel Saltzman reads Fly Away Home, the story of a young boy and his father who secretly live at the airport after the father lost his job and they became homeless when the boys mother died, so they couldnt pay their rent. The little boy finds a lost bird flying around the terminal and helps it get back outside.

LeVar and a friend say following recipes and cooking foods are very much like science experiments. They work on recipes which include lasagna made with rice, a marinara sauce, and apple raisin muffins. Helen Mirren reads How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, a tale of a lady who goes to elaborate lengths to get all the ingredients to make a pie after she finds her local grocery store closed.

In this episode of Reading Rainbow Levar ponders what it takes to count to one million. Levar visits a Crayola factory and learns how crayons are made into many different colors and sizes. Levar then visits Giants stadium in New Jersey to see how stadium officials count the number of fans who attend different events. Finally, a vendors of Giant stadium discuss and how they use mathematics to estimate the amount of food they need for an event. The book "How Much Is A Million," by David Schwartz is read by Nick Sullivan. The kids review the books "Only One," "One Hundred Hungry Ants," "How Many Stars In The Sky."

LeVar Burton focuses on the art of baking bread and its cultural value throughout the world. Bread is considered to be the most basic food that we consume. It can be fun to make, tasty, and its part of a balance daily diet. But in many cultures, the making and comsumption of bread takes on an even larger meaning for many. The Hopi Tribe of northern Arizona bake their bread, bekee, on a hot stone outside. In keeping with Native American tradition, the stone is always borrowed and a family member is invited to help with preparations. This time is viewed as an opportunity to draw closer to one another and nature. In the Indian culture, no meal is complete without bread. Nan, the basic bread is spicy and baked in a clay oven. This episodes suggested books are "Bread is for Eating", "Bread, Bread, Bread", "The Tortilla Factory", and "Walter the Baker."

LeVar shows us his travel room, a place very dear to him. His travel room has many maps and globes of places that hes visited. While we all love our own homes, we often imagine what it would be like to live somplace else. In this episode, we see what life is like in New York city, on the high seas, and in Hawaii. Books used in the this episode include "Somplace Else," "Me on the Map," "Town Mouse, Country Mouse," and "Somewhere in the World Right Now."

How babies are born is explored, in great detail, in this episode, as a family welcoming their fourth child is profiled during the last few weeks before delivery. Patrick Stewart reads a poem about how special each person is when they come into the world, and how every birth should be celebrated.

As LeVar works to make a clay model of his childhood home as a birthday gift for his mother, artists and their different mediums are profiled. Anna Holbrooks reads the story of Regina, who frets about making the perfect drawing in art class, and gets frustrated when her classmates accuse her of copying them when she has difficulty deciding what to draw after the teacher gives the class a theme.

This episode of "Reading Rainbow," teaches a lesson about legacies. The book "Carousel", narrated by Sarah Hubbard, shows that a legacy is a special gift passed down from generation to generation. Other books recommended are "The Long Silk Strand", "The Always Prayer Shawl", and "Up and Down on the Merry Go Round."

Scott Irby Ranier tells a tale of a boy who is followed home by a wave of water after a vacation at the beach, and how he and his family must convince the wave it is better off living in the ocean than in his bathtub.

LeVar explores Broadway as he looks at live entertainment options. Lucie Arnaz reads the feature story, about a young girl who decides to put on a show for her aunt, who usually treats her to Broadway play matinees, but now Aunt Lena is laid up in bed following a fall, and she gets depressed because shes missing her stories.

LeVar visits the Amazon rain forest to meet the real people profiled in todays featured book, a story about how a young man was chosen to follow around his tribes medicine man to learn all the natural methods of treating injuries and illness using plants of the rain forest.

LeVar explores way that young people can earn money before theyre old enough for official jobs in this show. Andrea McArdle reads the feature story of a group of kids who decide to run a lemonade drink stand to raise money to make repairs to their clubhouse, and how a new neighbor helps them drum up business.

Levar takes us on a literary tour of the United States. From Hawaii to Maine and Montana to New York, each state is different in its own way.

LeVar visits a school in New York City to ask the class how they have coped since the past year when the World Trade Center was destroyed nearby and they had to evacuate and some children lost family members. Jeff Bridges reads the story of The Tin Forest, about a lonely man who builds a metal forest of trees and animals in hopes of attracting real animals to ease his sadness.

LeVar observes activity in a playground to see how people do and dont get along with each other. Ed Harris reads Enemy Pie, a story about a boy who dislikes one of his new classmates, and how his father helps bring the two boys to start a friendship by making a secret recipe Enemy Pie.

The series tackles a delicate subject of how some children must deal with a parent in prison. Alfre Woodard reads Visiting Day, a tale about a young girl preparing to visit her father in jail on his birthday, and how she and her grandmother get ready for the trip to the prison. Afterwards, LeVar visits a real family planning to see their father and husband in jail as he finishes his prison term for shooting at a man during an argument, and how they have to cope with the social stigma of having to explain an ex-convict.

Eliza Dushku reads a story about a girl attending private school who attempts to create her own unique style without breaking any of the schools strict dress code rules.

Jordan Puryear reads "Two Old Potatoes and Me," about a girl who works with her father to recycle two rotted potatoes by replanting them using the sprouts to grow a whole new crop of potatoes. LeVar, working with his daughter, is inspired to make potato dishes from recipes in the book.

LeVar discusses different rites of passage in growing up. The book "I Lost My Tooth in Africa" is read about a young girl who loses her first tooth while visiting her fathers family in Africa, and how the tooth fairy tradition is different in other countries. We visit with some young people who are having their first dental appointment, and LeVar discusses other cultures customs regarding loose teeth. In another rite of passage, a friend of LeVars celebrates her 15th birthday with a Quincenara ceremony.

James Avery reads a story written by identical twin brothers Tiki and Ronde Barber, who became professional football players, and how they learned the importance of teamwork when they played together in junior high.