海角大神

On Sept. 11, 2001, the small Canadian town of Gander nearly doubled in size. The Broadway musical 鈥淐ome From Away鈥� 鈥� which recently began a nationwide tour 鈥� recounts how 38 transatlantic flights were diverted to Newfoundland following the terrorist attacks. In the catchy opening number, the company sings, 鈥淲elcome to the Rock.鈥� (The dozen cast members, each playing multiple roles, mimic the islanders鈥� Gaelic-flavored accents.) This uplifting tale of how the townsfolk clothed, fed, and housed 6,700 stranded passengers celebrates humanity鈥檚 best qualities. Suitable for ages 12 and up.聽

A neighborly podcast

Everyone鈥檚 got a story to tell. On the 鈥淣eighbors鈥� podcast from Nashville Public Radio, host Jakob Lewis seeks out the most fascinating autobiographical tales of everyday people. For example, we meet a street musician who plays a tuba inside a traffic-jammed tunnel. Myanmar refugee Gin Thawng tells how, late in life, he learned to speak English in an ESL classroom on a bus. The podcast鈥檚 goal is to illustrate how we have more in common with others than we might think.聽

鈥淢ister Rogers鈥�: From screen to page

The book 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood: A Visual History鈥� is more immersive than a trolley ride to King Friday XIII鈥檚 castle. The lovingly compiled biographical encyclopedia of Fred Rogers鈥� TV show for children features illuminating photographs, handwritten notes, scripts, and interviews with colleagues and guests. It also offers a peek into the making of the Tom Hanks movie, 鈥淎 Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.鈥� In a foreword to the book, Mr. Hanks observes that the cardigan-loving TV host preached a continuous message: 鈥淓ach of us are special in our own way.鈥�