His father died in 1989, about a decade before the book and movie were released. A memoir in 1998 and the premiere of the movie october sky in 1999, many homer hickam listeners and fans have wondered how and why he wrote the book, and how the movie was made. In 1998, delacorte press published hickams second book, rocket boys, the story of his life as the son of a coal miner in coalwood, west virginia. Rocket boys is the inspiring story of homer hickam, jr. Homer hickam is the author of many books including the acclaimed memoir rocket boys that was made into the film october sky. It left in its wake one boy s desire to join the space race, a dream that he ardently pursued with the help. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading rocket boys. Filled with interesting characters, ideas and life lessons, it also has a lot of excellent quotes which encapsulate both the themes and ideas of the book as well as the tone of the time that the book was written in. Hickam divides his life in west virginia into two phasesbefore and after the october 1957 launching of the soviet sputnik satellite. A memoir, the popular 1998 book made into the 1999 film october sky. It is really the story of a boy and where he grew up, said hickam about the nonfiction memoir. Incidental to that are such questions as what is jake gyllenhaal, chis cooper, laura dern, etc.
Homer hickam s rocket boys was one of those books that i couldnt put down, and i thought about for a long time after i finished it. Homer had a difficult time because his father was against his rocket. Rocket boys also known as october sky is the first memoir in a series of three, by homer hickam, jr. Chapterbychapter october sky summary rocket boys by. Rocket boys by homer hickam book club discussion questions. But hickam is also the author of several other books, crossing many genres and. Other books include the nonfiction work torpedo junction, which was a military history bookofthemonth club selection, and the novel back to the moon. Hickam grew up in a mining town in which the only job choice was to become a miner. His awards for writing are many and include the university of alabamas clarence cason award and shepherd universitys. It is mostly a true story though the author admits to taking some license about homer hickam, jr. As it is a true story it is inspiring as they persist in realising their dreams and i would recommend this book and others in the series.
Rocket boys characters from litcharts the creators of. Bykovski agrees to help homer by making rocket shafts for him. It was selected by the new york times as one of its great books of 1998 and was an alternate bookofthemonth selection for both the literary guild and. It is an account of experiencing childhood in a mining town, and a kids quest for novice rocketry in a coalmining town. Rocket boys the musical homer hickam october sky theatre coalwood.
Hickam grew up in a mining town in which the only job choice was to. Nasa from rocket boy to nasa engineer homer hickam. They can also be found on his website complete with answers answers from homer. Weatherford award in 1998, the year of its release. A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, homer hickam s lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumphat once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining. Sep 19, 20 homer hickam you probably know the name from october sky, the movie based on his memoir, rocket boys. The true story, originally published as rocket boys, that inspired the universal pictures film. Buy a cheap copy of rocket boys book by homer hickam. They also knew little about aerodynamics, rocket design, and fuels, and had to learn about rocket building from books.
Hickam s other books, the coalwood way, and sky of stone both give even more insight, and are also great reads. Rocket boys project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Rocket boys author homer hickam on writing memoirs. Homer hickam is still writing books and the rocket boys still meet annulaly for a reunion, i have read most of his books and they always entertain. This straightforward, unselfconscious memoir is set in coalwood, w. Rocket boys a memoir by homer hickam powells books. A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, homer hickams lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumphat once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining. Dec 21, 2015 below are a set of discussion questions for reading groups currently reading rocket boys by homer hickam. With jake gyllenhaal, chris cooper, laura dern, chris owen. The true story of homer hickam, a coal miners son who was inspired by the first sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his fathers wishes. Hickam junior, is a wonderful memoir written in the setting of the 1950s, 1960s that tells of the tale of a young boy who strives to achieve his dreams in becoming a rocket scientists as told through his own eyes. Except theres a difference to this menage a trois, a rather large, scaly one. After reading all about rockets in life magazine, homer jr. The book picks up nicely when homer and his friends build their first rocket sotospeak.
Rocket boys by homer hickam, also called october sky, is the story of a young boy growing up coalwood, a west virginia mining town. The somewhat true story of a man, his wife, and her alligator, i decided to go back and read the first book by west virginia coal miners kid turned rocket scientist and bestselling author homer hickam. In 1999, the governor of west virginia declared an annual rocket boys day to celebrate homer hickam and the rocket boys achievements. Rocket boys, perhaps best known as the book that inspired the movie october sky, is a. Posted jul 23, 2014 reel vs real, october sky and rocket boys 7. On one level, its the story of a teenage boy who learns about dedication. Download rocket boys pdf by homer hickam published on 15 september 1998. Homer hickam books list of books by author homer hickam. His 1998 memoir rocket boys also published as october sky was a new york times best seller and was the basis for the 1999 film october sky. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. That was the challenge former nasa engineer and author homer h. It received so much acclaim and interest, he was asked to write a book detailing the whole story.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A glint in the sky changed his life rocket boys by homer h. He enjoys interacting with folks in the book signing line and hearing stories from people who have read my. The ensuing series of rocketsformed from bykovskis shafts, powered with homer and quentins rocket fuelare unsuccessful, with one of them nearly burning down homer sr. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of rocket boys by homer hickam. There is humor mixed in with the story of one boy s determination to succeed in achieving his goals. You should read this book because it is all about how a kid built. Curing and testing chemical compounds with the power to launch rockets into the heavens proves hazardous for the hickam backyard fence, several sets of pots and pans and ultimately, the familys hot water heater. The main characters of this science, non fiction story are. It was 1957, the year sputnik raced across the appalachian sky, and the small town of coalwood, west virginia, was slowly dying. Delacorte throughout the summer of 1958, explosions rocked the. Rocket boys is a uniquely american memoir a powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the dawn. Homer hickam, master storyteller and bestselling author of october sky, speaks to the ntpn opening session. Carrying albert home by homer hickam is the story of a classic love triangle.
In 1957, when sonny was just 14 years old, sputnik raced across the appalachian sky. Faced with an uncertain future, homer hickam nurtured a dream. Oct 15, 2012 homer hickam is a former nasa, a new york times bestselling author, a vietnam war veteran, a small town hero, and a project talent participant from big creek high school in war, west virginia. A numberone new york times bestseller in mass market, brought to the screen in the acclaimed film october sky, homer hickam s memoir, nominated for the national book critics circle award, comes to trade paperback with an allnew photo insert. Rocket boys summary from litcharts the creators of. Do you think youd have been happy to live in coalwood in the late 1950s. Following service in the vietnam war, hickam became a nasa engineer and began to explore his love for writing, which, in 1998, resulted in his book rocket boys. Until i began to build and launch rockets, i didnt know my home to. Three years in the life of homer sonny hickam, from the moment he sees the sputnik satellite overhead in west virginia to his successful launch of a prizewinning rocket. The red clay readers summer reading series continues this week with an interview with homer hickam, author of rocket boys. Hickam shared this and other details when he joined the palmdale, calif. Rocket boys summary from litcharts from the creators of. Rocket boys book frisco public library bibliocommons. Mar, 2007 homer hickam, master storyteller and bestselling author of october sky, speaks to the ntpn opening session.
October sky the title on the mass market movie tiein version of the bestselling the rocket boys is the first memoir in a series of four, by homer hickam jr. This commentary and discussion questions were written by linda terry hickam, assistant and wife. Guessing correctly that it was bykovski who helped homer, homer sr. Hickams story of how a teenage boys handmade rockets lifted the hopes of a. Homer was a typical teenage boy of the early space race era and perhaps this book may appeal more readers who were youngsters or teenagers in the period 19501970. Homer hickam was born and raised in coalwood, west virginia.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 384 pages and is available in paperback format. It was published by wheeler publishing and has a total of 512 pages in the book. Homer s mom wins a patience award as the boys use the hickam basement and often the kitchen as a combustible fuels laboratory. As you read this memoir, did you begin to feel as if you knew the people involved. In 1960, the group qualified for the national science fair and won a gold and silver medal in propulsion, launching hickam s career in propulsion. The first edition of the novel was published in 1998, and was written by homer hickam. According to hickam, his favorite thing about the celebration is getting to meet people. It is the type of book i will be lending to everyone. I would recommend this book to people who are looking for an inspiring story. This wellwritten biography is a snapshot into history, into the mind of a teenaged homer hickam, into the lives people living in a 1950s coal mining town, and into our national attitude about the space race. During the course of the book, homer, inspired by read full character analysis homer hickam sr. His memoir, rocket boys, is an account of his youth spent designing and launching rockets with his friends in his hometown of coalwood, west virginia. One of the most beloved bestsellers in recent years, rocket boys is a uniquely american memoir.
The young narrator and protagonist of rocket boys, homer hickam, jr. It is a story of growing up in a mining town, and a boy s pursuit of amateur rocketry in a coal mining town. Hickam s first fiction novel was back to the moon 1999, which was released as a hardcover, audiobook, and ebook. Sep 05, 20 how does a 54yearold man get inside the brain of a 14yearold boy. Author homer hickam talks differences in rocket boys and film october sky updated jan, 2019. Free download or read online rocket boys pdf epub coalwood series book. A nostalgic and lyrical memoir of growing up in rural west virginia in the 1950s and one boy s dream to rival the russians in the race for space. Pdf rocket boys book coalwood free download 384 pages. Having recently read and enjoyed carrying albert home. A powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the end of the 1950s.
397 470 1004 695 387 120 900 1299 498 157 1165 865 50 377 1205 457 435 240 1395 994 985 1028 1287 156 796 875 362 324 311 1010 566 401 1547 728 1306 123 71 1066 1412 169 430 506