NEW ON DVD from PBS KIDS!! Reading Rainbow: Miss Nelson Is Back - Now Available to Own

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PBS Distribution has released four episodes from Reading Rainbow on the new DVD “MISS NELSON IS BACK.” The four episodes and books featured in this DVD are “Miss Nelson Is Back,” read by Ruth Buzzi, “Our Big Home,” read by Naomi Judd, “How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World,” read by Helen Mirren and “Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express,” read by Brian Dennehy.  

This fun-filled DVD is chock-full of great kid friendly adventures. Join LeVar as he gets made-up like a movie monster, visits with a food scientist who is working to develop new ice cream flavors, learns all about trains from a railroad engineer, and participates in a magic act! In addition to going on these field trips, kids will learn cooking tips from a chef, uncover that things aren’t always what they seem, and watch LeVar visit the United Nations and explore ways children can help others both locally and across the world. 

Reading Rainbow previously aired on PBS from 1983-2009. Hosted by LeVar Burton (“Roots,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Perception”) for its entire 26-year run, the program encouraged a love of literature in millions of children and garnered more than 200 awards, including 26 Emmys and a Peabody Award. 

Reading Rainbow: Miss Nelson Is Back DVD is available to purchase at major retailers nationwide in addition to online at Amazon. The DVD run time is approximately 120 minutes and its SRP is $6.99. Additional details about the episodes included on this DVD are below. 

“Miss Nelson Is Back” – Reader: Ruth Buzzi
Illusions appear in abundance in this episode. As part of his birthday celebration, LeVar gets made-up like a movie monster, and then gets involved in Harry Blackstone’s magic act. Ruth Buzzi reads “Miss Nelson Is Back,” all about a group of rowdy students who try to take advantage of their teacher’s absence when she’s out sick, and how she gets revenge on them by pretending to be “the meanest teacher in the world, Viola Swamp.

“Our Big Home” – Reader: Naomi Judd
LeVar visits the United Nations building to learn more about how different countries of the world try to work together. Naomi Judd reads “Our Big Home,” a poem about how everything in the world is connected and how we all must work together to make it succeed. 

“How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World” – Reader: Helen Mirren
LeVar and a friend point out that following recipes and cooking foods tend very much to be 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 about a lady who goes to elaborate lengths to get all the ingredients to make a pie after she finds her local grocery store closed. 


“Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express” – Reader: Brian Dennehy
LeVar takes a train ride in this episode. Along the way, we learn about trains and how the transcontinental railroad came to be. Brian Dennehy narrates the true story of how a young teen named Kate Shelley saved the engineers of a train that crashed into a river when the bridge near her home collapsed, and how she got word to the nearest station to alert them to stop the express train. 

Our Thoughts:

I always loved Reading Rainbow and LeVar Burton is truly an engaging and fun host for the adventures. It was fun to be able to share a few of these episodes with my younger nieces and nephews who were really engrossed in the DVD! Reading Rainbow is a classic and wholesome show and I really miss programming like this where it shows and guides children on how to use their imagination and about the love of reading!

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