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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
Homer Hickam grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia in the late 50's. Son of a devoted coal miner, Hickam became passionate about building rockets after Sputnik. Rocket Boys is not only a coming-of-age story in a dying town, but a beautifully written story of small town West Virginia.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
The first half of the book is a bit tedious, but by the end I felt invested in the protagonist’s story.
I already loved October Sky, so I wasn't sure if the book could live up to the standard I had in my head for it. Even better, it surpassed it. Such a great story, captivating the whole way through. I felt nostalgic about a story that isn't even mine. Reads like really good fiction, even better that it's true.
reflective
medium-paced
A touching memoir. I was particularly sucked in by all the mentioning of Bluefield, WV. It's a little unknown place where my grandmother is from. I almost squealed everytime it was mentioned.
Such an amazing book! I love this story. I love the hope that these boys had to do something more than what was expected. I need to read more of Hickam's books, because this one was just so poignant.
Inspired by Werner von Braun and seeing Sputnik tracing across the October Sky, the Rocket Boys of a small West Virginia mining town teach themselves differential calculus and build their own rockets. More than a book of scientific discovery (although there is that), it's a story of small town living and the relationships built and fought for, particularly with Homer Hickam's dad, who believes that the only things that matter are the coal mine and high school football.
I read this in 8th grade. It was surprisingly easy and I liked it.
What starts as a true story centering around the impact of coal mining on a small town juxtaposing the USA’s expansion into space, beautifully twists into a story about friendship, young love, and growing up. I read this book over a decade ago and still think about it, often. Definitely read it!