Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1) by Homer Hickam
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Book Reviews of Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)
Book Review: Funny, poignant, and inspiring
Summary: 5 Stars
I have lived in Appalachia for about 25 years now, and in a coal producing area for about a year now.Rocket Boys is an inspiring story about young boys who succeeded against all odds. Much of it is funny; a lot of it is sad as well, but most of it just tells of people coping with their lot in life and doing so very well.
It centers on a family which is neither ideal nor idealized, yet which functions very well amid a very hard environment. You have probably read memoirs, or seen biographies, of people who grew up in easier circumstances and families, yet which dwelt on the negative. Not this one. It's not sappy or sweet, but it's a fond remembrance.
And of course, it illustrates the value of a caring, motivated teacher. All of us deserve at least one of those.
For those who have seen the movie October Sky, please read this book. Same basic story, yes, but you will enjoy the differences in the characters--particularly the parents. And there are a lot of other great characters which did not make it into the movie.
I visited Coalwood not long ago. It's small, but it's still there. The people I talked to were a little perturbed that none of the movie was filmed there. But they spoke highly of the book, and the welcome sign says "Welcome to Coalwood: Home of the Rocket Boys."
Thanks--sincere thanks to Homer Hickham for writing this wonderful memoir of growing up in Appalachia in the 1950's and of making dreams come true.
Book Review: How you wish your teenaged years had been!
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoyed this book immensely and can recommend it whole heartedly to just about anyone. It comes down to the fact that I would have loved to be involved with Sonny Hickam, O'Dell, Quentin and the rest of the rocket boys when they were building rockets. Most of my friends are in the same boat, it was practically an ideal teenage life, despite many obstacles faced along the way.I wish I could have read this book when I was 14, because it may well have changed my life. The ideal reader for this book is someone in their early teens who's interested in science, I can imagine the dreams that it will inspire.
One small problem I had with the book was that whenever Sonny was talking about Dorothy Plunk, or how to remove a bra, or a fight with his Dad, I always wanted to get back to the rockets. What was the next fuel source, nozzle design or rocket casing? I realize that this would have turned the book into a text on rocket design, so it's better the way it is, but I still found myself wanting the next lauch or test or learning experience.
I think that I can easily say that this is an instant classic, destined to be enjoyed for decades to come. I would like to see it added to school curriculums too, I certainly wish it would have been on the list of my Grade 9 novels.
Oh... on a final note, if you liked the book, do see the movie "October Sky". It is a great movie, one of my favorites in 1999 and in its own way, just as good as the book.
Book Review: A Grand Adventure, a great read, a magnificent story
Summary: 5 Stars
Homer Hickam (Jr.) has written a book that is bound to be considered a literary classic. It is much, much more than a memoir. I heard Homer speak at the Southern Kentucky Book Fair and he said all his "memoirs" were Novel-Memoirs, memoirs written in the form of novels. He said, however, that he was able to recall small events pretty exactly by his father's mine diary, a daily recitation of what happened in the mine, the weather, and occasional references to what was going on at home. And yes, the meeting with John Kennedy really did happen. It is even recorded in the new biography of JFK titled "Jack." Although Homer said he does not take responsibility for the moon program. Vastly superior to the still-wonderful movie, Rocket Boys/October Sky gets my vote for the best memoir ever and not far behind in one of the best novels ever written, too. By the way, I teach it in my high school English class. My kids love it. Their parents do, too. Next year, I'm going to also teach The Coalwood Way and Sky of Stone as well. Homer said also that no real person in any of his memoirs has ever come to him and said "That's not the way it happened." He pretty much got it right but, of course, used the techniques of fiction to make his true story even truer to the events he covers. Keep writing, Homer, and we'll keep reading.Book Review: A book worth a thousand movies
Summary: 5 Stars
My favorite things about this book: · The author is very honest about his shortcomings, doubts, failures... How many times in the book is he ready to throw everything away?
· He writes truthfully not just about the rocket project, but about his feelings for his dad, his brother, his friends, the girl of his dreams, his teacher...
· The excellent portrayal of life in a mining town in WV in the late 50's. The community is slowly disintegrating due to the failing economics of coal, yet they find cohesion by rooting for the rocket project in unison. This is why the entire town would attend rockets launches and cheer and clap.
· The wonderful side characters, like the machinist who helps the guys by building special pieces, the dad, torn between his own stubbornness and the love for his son...
BEWARE! The movie is a triumphant Hollywood view of a successful, starry-eyed, brave and determined young man with a cuasi-perfect life. If we listen to the book, though, Homer was bullied, scared, intimidated, ready to quit, and had to overcome lots of opposition to achieve his dream. You might want to rent the movie to check out the last 3 minutes or so, because there is actual footage of many of the characters in the book, plus rocket launches! Other than that, the movie is a terrible adaptation of the book and doesn't do it any justice.
Book Review: Delightful memoir
Summary: 5 Stars
Homer Hickam Jr. fell in love with rockets at an early age. Other boys might idolize movie stars or football players, but Homer's hero was always Wernher von Braun. The launching of the Soviet Sputnik spurred Homer on to attempt to develop a rocket that would help the U.S. catch up in the space race. He and his buddies formed a group dedicated to rocket experiments, much to the chagrin of his father and the delight of his mother. His father hoped that Homer would follow in his footsteps and become superintendant of a coal mine in West Virginia, while his mother wanted him to escape from what she felt was a doomed future in the mines. With wit and compassion, Hickam recreates the events and people in the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia, where he grew up. He describes the dynamics of his family in which his father favored his football-playing older brother and his mother good-naturedly supported his adventures and misadventures in creating, designing and igniting a series of ever more complicated rockets. This is a delightful memoir, humorous and poignant, which evokes small-town America in the 50's. It shows that the seeds which are sown in a young person's life can truly bear fruit when he reaches maturity and that both those who encourage and discourage him can have a bearing on that person's success.