Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1) by Homer Hickam
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Book Reviews of Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)
Book Review: A Great American Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Books like this don't come around often. It's a class act. The real deal. Uplifting, heartwarming, endearing, nostalgic, triumphant, and inspirational. It makes you laugh, it brings you to tears. You love the characters and sadly, when it ends, you miss them. The best part is that it is a true story. There is no wonder why, after over 500 reviews, this book averages 5 stars. To me this story represented all that is great about America: Family and community, dreams and goals, hardwork and creativity, perseverance and dedication, friendships, dedicated teachers and role models. If you are tired of reading oprahfied books that deal with tragedy, dysfunction, addiction, and abuse, do yourself a favor and read this book. It will show you who the REAL heroes are. It will uplift you and remind you of all that is truly great. It will also remind you that this greatness can come anywhere, to anyone, rich or poor. To have a dream and to "go for it" is what America is all about and what is exemplified in this book. This has become one of my all time favorites.Book Review: Excellent Biography
Summary: 5 Stars
This book has recently been published with the title "October Sky," so don't get the two confused. An earlier reviewer discussed the difficulty in believing the truthfulness of the story due to coincidences and convenient circumstances. However, as he also stated, this was based on a review of the movie, which I also found far from the original story told in the book.
The book is very detailed about the three years of Homer Hickam's life leading up to his graduation from high school and his successful national science project. I found the story very uplifting, and believable.
This story presents an in-depth look at the coal mining lifestyle in 1960 era West Virginia. Coming from a small town, with coal mining and UMW membership in my family's past, I found the story revealing and enthralling. I read this book in 2 evenings. I am not a fast reader--it's just that the story moved well and kept me engrossed. I lost myself in this story, and found myself emotionally changed by its end. I hated to see the last page.
Book Review: what a gift!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished reading Rocket Boys and I am in severe withdrawl already. What a life experience! This book is about so many things. First of all it is about the undefeatable nature of humans. Secondly it is a sheer joyous lesson in the power of learning. I want so much for every high school student to read this and see exactly what pleasure and joy and rewards may come from a book. These young men changed their lives because of the power they found in learning. The third thing that i loved about this book is its unique look at what it was like to be labeled a "geek" My brother was a high school student in the sixties. He was an extremly gifted young man and he was ridiculed daily. Oh how i wish he had known the rocket boys. So for ex-geeks (now wealthy and happy) everywhere I thank you Homer for giving this gift. I will give it to my brother for Christmas with a better understanding of him. I'm sure he will find delight in the spirit of the rocket boys. He was, and didn't know it, one himself.Book Review: Great Choice for an All-community Read
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is the 2008 One Siouxland/One Book selection.(That's Sioux City, IA and surroundings) and it is a briliant choice. I have always been fascinated by people who can concentrate on one thing and see it through. This is a story about that and much more. I was delightedly surprised that this is so well written. Often you can see the "seams" in amateur writing, but not in this. The book is stuffed with themes, unrequited love, father/son, brother/brother, mother/son, unrequited love, jocks/nerds, small town/big dreams, corporation/individual, union/corporation, I could go on. Yet, it never seems thin. The only problem I had with the book was that events seemed to happen in clusters. This made it read like fiction, but I doubt it happened that way in real life. This is memoir rather than autobiography and I allow the writer to take liberties. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to discussing it with others. I doubt I would have found this book if the committee hadn't chosen it.Book Review: Rocket Boys/October Sky
Summary: 5 Stars
Rocket Boys: A Memoir by Homer Hickam also known, as October Sky is a very good book about Homer Hickam's experiences building Rockets. He was inspired to build rockets by the launch of the Russian space satellite Sputnik, and by his idol Werner Von Braun. Most of the story takes place in Coalwood, West Virginia, and throughout the book Hickam runs into many problems along the way, from being criticized by his father, finding the right propellant and the right materials to make the rocket out of. After the group of boys decide how to they want to build their rockets they are encourage to enter a science fair by their science teacher. Rocket Boys / October Sky is an inspirational story filled with all sorts of outstanding lesson useful to people of any age. Although there are many similarities between the book and the movie they are still very different. I would suggest you read the book before you watch the movie, as it is much more detailed.