All right. All right. Everybodys got a Favorite Book from their childhood sometimes stories of adversity and triumph. But the heroes of those stories are often lacking in diversity yeah. Its true. Frustration. We just know, like, its too according to a recent study, much of a gamble straight ahead, the story actually, more childrens books from coast to coast. Massive explosion. What caused this devastating blast in the heart of beirut the mystery growing as the number of dead and injured climbs this morning. But from the rubble, a stunning story. A survivor pulled out alive. Those stories, plus phoning feature white characters than all other types of visible home the astronauts in that historic nasa Spacex Mission revealing the prank calls they made. Minorities combined. Thats one reason why jenna sat down with some really bright young minds to talk about the importance of representation especially in this particular moment by the way, these kids are probably was a pretty funny incredible to hear you have astronauts calling whoever we could call. And sharing a message of we had an eye opening inspiration for the world. Conversation about how books featuring characters of different skin colors, cultures, hope it brings a little bit and beliefs not only help of brightness to a tough 2020. Welcome to today on thisust sd underrepresented communities feel seen, they can also change attitudes towards them reporter our story begins with three avid readers. Im riley im 9 years old. I am a founder and ceo of the brown bookcase my name is sidney wednesday morning. Its great to have you with us im 14 founder and ceo of books and 5th, 2020. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hi, everybody. Good morning welcome to today on this wednesday morning. Bros reporter all of these its great to have you with us we really mean that because so impressive young ones already many houses are without power making their mark in the book this morning after the storm yeah. Up and down the east coast your house lost power, my house lost power time to invest in a generator. Absolutely. Theres a lot going on today in fact, we want to take you live to the scene of that welcome back. Horrible explosion in beirut thats the scene this morning. Crews are searching for survivors and for answers as well Richard Engel is going to have als forecast is free. Rokerthon is free. You know what else is free . World. Katelyn is a popular teen book the story just ahead blogger based in the philippines those birthday wishes. Who frequently champions and promotes Diverse Voices online peacock. We begin here at home with sidneys books and bros is a i dont think it is free the devastation left by isaias subscription based book company. Focused on empowering boys and though. You have to pay for promoting africanamerican and after struggling to find characters that look like her, welcome back als forecast is free. Rokerthon is free. Blamed for six deaths as it riley opened an independent you know what else is free those birthday wishes. Online bookstore called the peacock i dont think it is free though you have to pay for it. They have a free version. Raced up the east coast. Oh. Okay, great. I just got in trouble. Theres a free level. Anyway and Power Outages lets spin the smuckers jar. First up we got a happy 100th 2. 5 million in new york, new birthday to lillian czura. Jersey, and connecticut. 14 grand kids, 20 great grand that cleanup recovery expected kids to last days perhaps weeks Gabe Gutierrez is in queens amazing. En rico caparrros. Her secret to longevity . Eating chocolate after dinner. And gene meisner worked until where the work is already brown bookcase that curates diverse childrens books underway good morning reporter good morning. Raise your hand if youve ever this storm tore through here in a hurry. There are downed trees like this had the issue where you couldnt one ripped from the ground find books with characters that she was 90 years old as you mentioned, more than 2 look like you. And colette stays active i feel like the world is changing but not enough to where i feel like it should be easy for africanamerican shirley is married to the love boys and girls to find books that represent themselves. Africanamerican children of her life for over 60 years. Should have books that theyre Million People are without power right now. And here in new york city, we saw wind gusts of up to 70 miles an hour. Happy 100th birthday to mervin able to relate to as well. Morris founded his own Department Store reporter how important is representation why does it matter representation for me is very chain. Guys, thats it. Im not free to go and do the all right. Welcome back, guys. 8 30 on wednesday morning. This morning millions across the northeast are still without power after isaias swept through. Important, because if you dont oh, my god reporter the deadly storm leaving behind a trail of we rarely make mistakes around see yourself represented how are destruction spread across a you going to see yourself as a positive figure when you do get dozen states confirmed tornadoes in new jersey here but third hour of today. It was crazy. See it forming right in front of all right. Welcome back, guys to see somebody that looks like you as the main character and yes, you are. 8 30 on wednesday morning. We rarely make mistakes around main hero, you kind of feel empowered. And dont forget, peacock you. Here but we made a doozy a few minutes ago. Like, i can be s its like, what . I would like to say craig, you did start it reporter downing trees and i did so apparently mulan is going to debut on september 4th for an starts off free. Thats what i was just blocking the garden state telling you, hoda. That you guys read about other i thought mulan rouge was a rental cultures just ahead on the third so we can normalize white not being the default. When i was younger, i thought that i was different when you really show a hour, Vanessa Williams parkway. New jerseys governor declaring perspective, like, you realize and on hoda jenna, jerry a state of emergency in north carolina, isaias oconnell. Shredded homes added fee of ou at least two people were killed. One minute youre fine, the have disney plus you can enjoy it as many times thats going to be good next minute its all hell breaks loose. As you like. Screwed up so were sorry. Reporter in pennsylvania, we want to be like the fonz. Remember he is a trip, man widespread flooding d an could never get the word out sorry. 30 bucks is still a lot that you can relate to someone whos different from you got a lot to talk about. Thats how you kind of become ignorant to a culture is by nott first before i say anything else thats going to possibly get me terminated, heres your just saying. You need to pull back understanding gap, i asked these local news three young book experts for a inside we hide in the closet because favor. It was the storm reporter trees toppled across the region knocking out all right. Meantime, we got a packed half book recommendations for their hour for you guys. We do guys, imagine this peers. M understanding it and making living a hundred years ago and false assumptions about it then waking up in present day reporter to help bridge that understanding gap, i asked these three young book experts for a favor. Book recommendations for their peers. My summer pick is i believe power to millions. The tree is actually up from brooklyn i can. Out of the sidewalk. And it came down on this house well, that is what happens to one of seth rogans characters it was like a Freight Train in his new movie called an american pickle. Seth had plenty to say about it with harry smith i picked that book because it tells a lot about what you can good morning. Try to do. No dream is too big to accomplish. My pick is ghost boys. Its a book that kind of talks its 8 56. Ooi their good chat ahead. Also jbh is here im kris sanchez. Coming through shes going to introduce us to some remarkable kids who are a standoff outside the main jail the loudest sound i ever heard reporter in delaware the powerful winds knocked over a leading a charge to change in san jose where a detainee tractortrailer. Even new york city was under a rare tornado watch a tree fell in queens killing a 60yearold man in a parked car. Managed to get ahold of a gun another building partially and fire shots still inside a childrens books for the better. They do a great job of explaining why their mission is about Police Brutality sheriffs suv only to surrender really so important. Really looking forward to this so its about a 12yearold boy one. Indeed. Plus a round up of some of the who was actually shot by the police and his ghost kind of goes to his to the Police Officers daughter and they kind of just, like, talk in a sense. This morning. Suspect accused of mail fraud the storys about their friendship its a way of understanding everything society has going on and forgery and while handcuffed collapsed in brooklyn. Next thing i know i hear a best reviewed items of the they manahe managed to grab a g boom everything just fell down. Summer and where you can find them reporter in all, at least six dead from the storm. Right now. First, we could not be more right now in a way thats not latest disaster in a tough year. Excited for something that is going to happen tomorrow on the too harsh on Young Readers as cleanup continues, dont forget that the pandemic is show i picked love from a to z. She meets a boy named adam at stored in the rear of the suv. It is the return of rokerthon the airport and its a great shots were fired but no al, what are you going to do injuries. Gathering more information about still with us. So help your neighbor, but do it who that suspect is, a live safely wear your mask report is coming up in our midday newscast. You can look for more on our oh, this is very exciting home page. Our fourth rokerthon story. Even though they dont face a also on our home page, keep your distance reporter of course with the its a virtual sandwich making relay. Weve got dozens of our favorite lot of microaggressions for pandemic, many families are at chefs and foodies. Just to name a few, martha home with children struggling this morning without power stewart, bobby flay, marcus latest from beirut where at and of course, many roads and rail lines are shut down or least 100 people were killed samuelsson, thomas keller. Being muslim, she experiences a after yesterdays horrific explosion there. Lot of joy in her life a desperate search continues now i feel like this is a Book Club Meeting and im a teacher for more survivors. Again. Im having so much fun 2,700 tons of volatile you are so inspirational delayed this morning as the so many more all of it raising awareness and every single one of you. Explosives were improperly cleanup gets underway. Savannah helping feeding america and world central kitchen. You guys can be my forever kid stored at a shipping port. A lot of work to do already gabe, thank you. Now lets turn to the scene of utter devastation in beirut, and bay area schools are now lebanon. Its still unfolding this morning. Rescue workers sifting through we are so excited about this starts at 8 30 right about 24 rushing to implement new safety hours from now starts here and goes streaming live on today all day on peacock. Guidelines. Head to our home page to see correspondents what San Jose District is doing debris from yesterdays massive warehouse explosion searching thank you i know. To keep your student safe. For possible survivors a blast that killed more than a all right i left that meeting feeling so inspired so we decided to do something hundred people and injured so in case you dont want to spend if you dont want to spend the 29. 99 for mulan, this is a bargain because peacocks about it free im excited to announce that all its free. Three books chosen by our young experts will be our official free picks for a special summer kids thousands more nbcs chief foreign free, baby edition of read with jenna. Correspondent Richard Engel has the latest on this free thank you, al hey, richard good morning reporter good morning, hoda. Free. Yeah so you are starting a book so much damage to such a okay club with them beautiful city the government has declared yes, i sure am. Thank you so much. We are excited right now you guys can find them on today. Com read with jenna and i get to say it. Lets see that big board yes three days of national mourning. Okay. There we are. 90 of the hotels in the city have been damaged. According to the governor, hundreds of thousands of people we have got some adorable our Instagram Page today show viewers all lined they got to choose the first up there they are in all their glory. Good morning three kids picks thats cool youre right. The future after interviewing have been made homeless. And hes appealing to lebanese those kids i get it to open up their homes to allow good morning, everybody all right. People to find a place to live we are looking for the brennan we got lauren and much of beirut is shattered this morning by one of the most powerful peacetime explosions family from fairfax, virginia, ever but the will to live remains up on the big board. We got lauren and jay. Got their kids aidan and keaton. Guys, i know you remember this, but we dug into the today show archives and we found that you guys have already been on our show on the plaza. Lets take a look. Strong even after this a survivor this morning found under the rubble for some, a miracle. Look closely and you can see oh. Oh, back in the day we remember. We remember. We loved when you came to see us and today you guys are back with us on our virtual plaza and you want to say happy birthday to what happened. This is the port as a fire rages, popping and sparking. It wells to a noisy roar until someone. Who is that . Happy birthday to pop pop he turns 70 years old. The second blast other angles show the blast wave crumbling buildings like sand castles. Traveling faster than the speed hes an Institution Just like the today show by the way, pop pop a retired teacher. Hes been watching our show every day for decades. So we would like to also say of sound, people couldnt get out of the way of the blast. Happy birthday happy birthday, pop pop then came the bang filmed from boats too. Love you from what they thought was a safe distance. They filmed from passing cars all right love you guys. Thanks for watching. Guys, everybody woke up really early for our plaza this miles away a Mushroom Cloud hung over morning except for the next couple i want to show you. They are up late the white family where are you guys right now were in south korea. In south korea. We are so happy to have you here right now. Weve got stephanie, hunter, your baby alyssa shes 6 months beirut its like an earthquake it was like a nuclear bomb i couldnt even take my breath reporter the governor rushed to the scene and broke down saying it reminded him of hunter, you are serving in the how are you doing . Hiroshima. Great were glad to be here. Happy to stay awake for the went through shops and a church service. But what caused it the lebanese president said it was a chemical explosion today show stephanie, i heard you had to actually get, like, a special tv connection just to make this all happen what did you do . Well, i log into my fire stick as if were in california suggesting negligence. Not terrorist or malice. That Ammonium Nitrate was stored at the port without proper and i have the nbc app so i can watch you guys. I actually watch you my morning, so its your nighttime so well watch you guys and ourselves tomorrow morning in live from studio 1a in precautions for six years. About ten hours. Rockefeller plaza, this is the local media suggests a welder set it off by accident the government demanded an investigation. Third hour of today. And a good morning to you. Hospitals couldnt cope as the injured streamed in. Welcome to the third hour of today. Craig melvin in studio 1a. Thousands hurt many by flying glass i love it al and dylan continue to work from home. Dozens were killed so we want to say good night to sheinelle enjoying a few days President Trump offering few you. Good night, baby alyssa. Details suggesting this was an off. Well see her back next week. Mr. Roker, a lot of folks in the sweet dreams thank you for your service we really appreciate it. And the whole family serves, so thank you to all of you. We love it when the big board Goes International one more look at the entire northeast, myself included, looking at a long day of attack group. We see james turning 7 today cleaning up. It was a bomb of some kind, theres the boeing family. I see the smith family from yes. Summit, new jersey thats right. Reporter beirut has seen many wars, but nothing like our yards a mess here. But thankfully this will be the summit, new jersey. Last time i say isaias, but it adorable baby sam there. The clemmons family. Came through quickly and left corys turning 12 today. Thank you, thank you, thank you boy, richard. To all of you for waking up some serious destruction behind, what a difficult recovery ahead early. By the way, you can get in on unfortunately. For the folks there. The fun today. This its we had it in one explosion. It is a catastrophe. Ive never seen Something Like that adorable baby sam there. Boy, richard. What a difficult recovery ahead the clemmons family. Corys turning 12 today. For the folks there. Thank you, thank you, thank you lebanons Prime Minister is appealing to the international to all of you for waking up early. By the way, you can get in on community asking for help. What have you been hearing the fun today. Its today. Com mytodayplaza. Reporter well, a lot of you can be part of the fun now lets go back to al countries are promising aid. Some already sending plane its free check of the weather. Loads. Announcer todays weather is brought to you by target. France, jordan, russia says its sending five plane loads israel which has fought wars against lebanon says its willing to provide humanitarian assistance the United States also saying its willing to help out all right a quick look at your weekend wherever possible. Outlook. Its not too early to start the and lebanon needs help right weekend. Showers along the midatlantic now. The country even before this bl