LeVar Burton has discovered another approach to share his love for reading.
The actor has launched the LeVar Burton Book Club in partnership with Fable, depicted on its application and site as a way to find, read and discuss books, and help build “human connections.”
“As a lifelong advocate for literacy, the opportunity to launch my book club on Fable’s wonderful new platform is extremely exciting and timely,” Burton said in a statement Tuesday. “This partnership will help foster the importance of storytelling while sharing my love of reading.”
Burton, who helped young viewers love books with PBS’ “Reading Rainbow” and hosts the web podcast “LeVar Burton Reads,” chose James Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain” as his first Fable choice. Next up are Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” and “The Fire This Time,” a poetry and essay collection edited by Jesmyn Ward.
The actor who starred on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Roots” is busy on another front this summer: He will step in as a guest host on “Jeopardy!”
The quiz show, which lost its longtime host Alex Trebek to cancer last November, presently can’t seem to report a successor. Fanatics of Burton have lobbied for him to be the permanent replacement, with a petition drive attracting in excess of 250,000 signers until now.