October Sky (The Coalwood Series #1)

Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr.'s first memoir Rocket Boys is a masterpiece of American literature. Hickam's acclaimed book tells an extremely inspirational story of a young man who reaches his dream against all odds. However, what separates this memoir from the numerous other "follow your dreams" stories is its vivid, lucid language. As I was reading the story, I could actually picture what it was like living in small town America in the 1950's! I could picture his friends, the town, and all of the characters. I could feel his frustrations, problems, and relationships. Although I knew the ending to the novel straight away, I could not help but feel my emotion swaying with the ups and downs of the book. At some points, I was laughing out loud, and other made me feel as if I could shed a tear. What spurs Homer "Sonny"" Hickam throughout the memoir is the constant threat of working in the coal mines, dying young and miserable. His mother fears since he does not have the athletic ability of his older brother Jim, who is expected to receive a scholarship for college, he will never make it out of the town. However, Sonny's father hopes that he will follow in his footsteps and become the superintendent of the mine. Homer, Sr. dreams for him become smashed when Sonny watches Sputnik, the first satellite to be launched into space by the Soviets, fly overhead across the West Virginia sky in October, 1957. Sonny becomes inspired both by that first intrepid launch and by the work of Werner von Braun and the Cape Canaveral rocketry team who begin to compete for supremacy in space. Sonny soon decides to try and build his own rockets. This desire eventually morphs into in the hopes of winning the National Science Fair and receiving a scholarship for college. Sonny creates the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency), consisting of Quentin Wilson, Roy Lee Cooke, Sherman Siers, O'Dell Carroll, and Billy Rose. Together they use their limited recourses, and mostly self-taught education to build rockets. They make over thirty-five rockets called the Auk I-XXI. Sonny and his exhibit called "A Study of Amateur Rocketry Techniques" ultimately make it to the 1960 National Science Fair in Indianapolis, where they win first prize. That triumph proves to be their ticket to full scholarships for college and a way out of their dying coalmining town where they had expected to be working in the mines. Sonny's quest to build a rocket using his mostly self-taught education to escape the harsh coalmines will stay with you long after you stop reading. I know that throughout my life I will use Hickam's wonderfully written memoir as an inspiration. Sonny clearly demonstrates that any dream is accomplishable. At the end of the memoir, he sums up his entire experience in a simple paragraph after talking about his abandoned town, "Yet I believe for those of us who keep it in our hearts, Coalwood still lives. The miners still trudge up the old path to the tipple, and the people bustle in and out of the Big Store and gather on the church steps after Sunday services. The fences still buzz with news and gossip, and the mountains and hollows echo with the joyful clamor of childhood adventures. The halls and classrooms of the old schools still hum with the excitement of youth, and the football fields yet roar with celebration on cold fall Friday nights. Even now, Coalwood endures, and no one, nor careless industry or overzealous government, can ever completely destroy it-not while we who once lived there may recall our life among its places, or especially remember rockets that once leapt into the air, propelled not by physics but by the vibrant love of an honorable people, and the instruction of a dear teacher, and the dreams of boys." Hickam's heartfelt memoir, Rocket Boys, is an unbelievable read that proves that through lots of work, and being curious, you can make your dreams come true.

Met Homer Hickam Jr. at the August 2011 Mars Society Convention. He was a guest speaker and a retired NASA engineer. Down to earth guy...liked him immediately. So far read his Torpedo Junction and The Dinosaur Hunter books...both 5 stars. See my reviews. The Rocket Boys was a great book. Its a fast paced page burner. Read the 368 page book in 1 day. A lot of funny and serious parts. No boring parts. Look at all the reviews... well over four hundred gave the book 5 stars. Its a wonderful book and Homer INMO should of got a Pulitzer prize. Its about a teenage boy "Sonny" Homer Hickam Jr growing up in Coalwood WV in the late 50s, 1960. His father first is a foreman of a coal mine and later the superintendent of the mine. His Dad is strict but fair but a total company management man and spends most of his time managing the mine and a lot of times going into it even though he didn't have to. His Dad spent little time with his son and older, bigger HS football playing son. The brothers get into lots of fights but in the end Sonny has nothing but respect for Jim his now HS football coach, brother. We see the turn around in Sonny's life as the Russians launched Sputnik and the effect of that orbiting satellite had on the US, the small town of Coalwood, and sparking Sonny's interest in rockets, Dr. W.Von Braun, NASA, and eventually going to college and becoming a NASA rocket engineer. We see Sonny's joy when his father comes and launches the rocket club's last rocket at "Cape Coalwood". Sonny had won the gold and silver medal at the National Science Fair with the clubs Amateur Rocket presentation. To Sonny's delight his Dad praises his son and says "You did good Son". His Dad gets badly injured in the mine and later after a 65 year old mandatory retirement dies of the "Black Lung"."Sonny has a loving and understanding mom but not a softy. I developed empathy towards these real people and was saddened when Sonny's physics teacher Miss Riley, who gave Sonny so much encouragement dies of Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 32 years old. We see Sonny's early love live and his first sex conquest, or I should say her sex conquest ,as well as the girl he truely loves but never gets. We see his interest in rockets and he builds up a rocket club the town eventually supports. I won't ruin the superb ending for you. As I said I developed empathy with these real people and had a tear at the ending. This book is great with the development of true characters although some have pseudonyms. A heartwarming memoir of a teenagers life and his fulfilling his dreams of becoming a rocket engineer even though his Dad wanted him to become a mining engineer. This book has won awards and was made into a movie... October Skies. The move was rated great and I bought the DVD. I'm watching it with my family at our family night. Will review it. Rocket Boys another Homer Hickam Jr. 5 star book. Recommended, I really enjoyed it.

I decided to pick up Rocket Boys after seeing "October Sky" with my son. October Sky, (OS) is one of the movies that was included as part of a tradition my son and I had started when he was a youngin', and still continuing today. October Sky is what I refer to as a "Dad" movie, or any movie that was either about, or included a sub plot that reflected a relationship between a father and his son. Anyone that has seen OS knows that this wonderful movie very much accomplishes that prerequisite. Other examples over the years included "Field of Dreams", "Road To Perdition" and "The Fighting Sullivans". Although my son is all grown up now, we still try to get together on occasion whenever a new Dad movie either comes along, or is discovered. I really don't expect him to make a point in his life anymore to seek out and secure every one there is available. I am happy that he at least remembers it, and joins me on watching one with me every once in a while. Reading any book together that inspired the Dad movies has not ever been part of the tradition, (that one is mine alone). And Rocket Boys (RB) is no exception. I bought RB after seeing OS, for I was very much interested in seeing just what liberties were taken with the theatrical version. Not only that, but I was also so fascinated with this truly amazing real life story, that I couldn't wait to read all the furthur details of Homer Hickam and the rocket boys life and times. I really do not want this to be just another review where I talk about Hickam's writing style, his portrayal of characters, or the differences between his book, and the movie. Let it suffice that if you loved OS and just felt at the end of it that you wished it could have just continued on a while longer, than Rocket Boys is something you should definitely take the time to read. Basically it follows the movie very well, except like any book that inspires a movie version, there is a tremendous amount of more, and greater detail about everything. Hickam's home life, the relationship with his brother, and girls, his trials and tribulations with designing and building his rocket, along with the true story of his trip to the science fair finals. If everything that is in the book was included in the movie, it would have been at least twice as long as it was. Which for those of us that loved the movie, would have been just fine. If you are someone that is fortunate enough to have a tradition such as mine, or are just someone that loved October Sky for just the wonderful, heart warming, intricate portrayal that it was, I urge you to pick up a copy of Rocket Boys. The last thing this true story is, is one of those books that is so different from the movie that you will find yourself disappointed. It will not in any way portray anything that you are not already familiar with, transport you to a different place, or introduce you to any new characters that will leave you abandoned from what the movies visuals instilled in you. It is basically October Sky, the complete story. Highly recommended...

Several years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed October Sky, the film based on this book. The book tells a broader, richer story of the author's life. I am not knocking the film, they are two different art forms and each has its own strengths and virtues. Life in a West Virginia mining town is seen through the eyes of an adolescent fascinated by the beginnings of the Space Age. In a region where football seems the only available route to college, a group of boys aspire to design and launch rockets, and people think they're crazy. The high school principal suspects them of wanting to build bombs. The author will become a NASA engineer. The book tells his story.

Great story of a boy who came from less than ideal circumstances, and made something of himself. He persevered in the face of difficulties and didn't take no for an answer. He wove in family and community interactions that helped encourage him and highlighted teachers who encouraged him throughout his life. Loved this book.

A captivating and enjoyable read. One of the better books I’ve read in a while.

This book brought back so many memories of my childhood. Homer Hickman did a fantastic job of writing this book.

Good book, I was forced to read it through school, but it wasn’t bad

Ceux qui ont vu le film Ciel d'Octobre seront ravis de découvrir l'histoire de ces Rocket Boys. Le film a pris quelques libertés mais est fidèle à l'esprit du livre. On y découvre la rencontre de l'auteur avec Kennedy pendant sa campagne électorale. N'est-elle d'ailleurs pas à l'origine du programme spatial américain pour envoyer un homme sur la lune ? On peut légitimement en venir à cette conclusion...

Un ragazzo nato in un posto dimenticato da Dio in mezzo alle montagne dove la gente ha l'unica prospettiva di morire di silicosi o incidente in una miniera di carbone, può arrivare ad addestrare astronauti alla NASA? Ad Homer Hickam è successo questo ed è narrato in "Rocket Boys", libro famoso più che altro per essere alla base di "October sky" ("Cieli di Ottobre"), film pluripremiato. E la bellezza maggiore di questo libro e di questa storia è il fatto che Homer Hickam non era affatto conscio di quanto gli stava succedendo, e gli è successo soprattutto per la determinazione della madre, della sua insegnante e dei suoi amici. Lui ci ha messo solo un po' di faccia tosta e di spericolatezza. E' stato abbastanza. E' una grande storia di come un atto di generosità e lungimiranza può cambiare il mondo.

Although I have many of Homer Hickmans books, this book moved me more emotionally. Homer alias Sonny shared what it's like to have a dream and have others catch the same vision. We witness his adolescent mistakes and can also identify with his heartbreak whether a young man or a young woman. Also words of encouragement from Jake, " No matter what choice you make in life God has a plan for you. This book was great read.

Wonderful quality for a used book. Will buy more.

Terrific book ! I love the relationship between Sonny and his dad ....I also love Elsier.