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Daniel Bergner's book, In the Land of Magic Soldiers, tells the stories of victims and perpetrators in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war, and the efforts to rebuild the nation. He finds a country so devastated that its people often plead for a return to British rule. Hear NPR's Melissa Block.

Critics have rarely embraced Stephen King as a serious writer. But the prolific novelist, best known for his horror stories, is about to enter some serious company. The National Book Foundation is honoring the best-selling author with a lifetime achievement award whose previous recipients have included Arthur Miller, Eudora Welty and John Updike. King discusses the award and his writing with NPR's Susan Stamberg.

The Barbarian Invasions, winner of the "Best Screenplay" and "Best Actress" awards at this year's Cannes International Film Festival, opens in U.S. theaters. Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition movie critic Kenneth Turan offers a review.

Austin City Limits, the PBS music program, has presented the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnnie Cash, and Ray Charles since 1975. The show is now honored as a 2003 National Medal of Arts winner. NPR's Renee Montagne reports.

A growing number of American movies are being filmed in Vancouver, Canada. The city offers a similar look to U.S. cities, experienced crews, tax breaks and lower production costs due to the difference between American and Canadian dollars. Trevor Hughes reports.

Back in 1971, college student Ted Chapin got extra credit for working on the Broadway-bound Stephen Sondheim musical, Follies. Thirty years later, Chapin has written about that experience in the book, Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical 'Follies', which details the ups and downs of what became a controversial production. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and Ted Chapin.

Charlotte Renner reports on the filming of an HBO movie based on Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls. The film, which describes life in a dying New England mill town, has brought a jolt of prosperity to the real-life mill town of Skowhegan, Maine.

The Metropolitan Opera has revived La Juive, a 19th century French opera about religious persecution. Enrico Caruso once filled the lead tenor's role in the work by Jacques Fromenthal-Halevy. The new tenor star is Neil Shicoff, who speaks with NPR's Linda Wertheimer.

Checkers and alphabet blocks beat out Candy Land, Clue and Big Wheel to win two coveted spots this year in the National Toy Hall of Fame. There are now 28 toys in the Hall of Fame, including Mr. Potato Head, Barbie, Etch-A-Sketch, Legos and the teddy bear. Brenda Tremblay from member station WXXI reports.

Director Tim Burton's new film Big Fish stars Albert Finney as a fable-making father whose stories have caused his son to doubt his every word. NPR's Bob Mondello offers a review.