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Book ReviewsRocket Boys |
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Book: Rocket Boys
Written by: Homer Hickam Beau Bridges |
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Trade Division)
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5
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A Great American Story
Rating:
5 / 5
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.
Laura S.
Rating:
4 / 5
The novel, October Sky, by Homer H. Hickam Jr. is an intriguing novel about a group of boys in the 1950's who become interested in astronomy and go on to build and launch many rockets. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik by the Russians, Homer Hickam Jr. and his four friends, Sherman, Roy-Lee, O'Dell and Quentin from the small town of Coalwood in West Virginia , work together to build rockets with some scrap from the company mine. With the support of the boys' chemistry teacher, Miss Riley, the machinists of Coalwood, and a few citizens, the "rocket boys" eventually fire their last rocket, Auk XXXI, and it travels 6 miles into the sky. Homer's father and many of the citizens of Coalwood never supported the boys and their interest, but at the last public launching, Mr. Hickam comes and shows his appreciation for his son and all his hard work.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Once I picked up the book, it was hard to put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone, because it is an inspiring success story for all to enjoy.
Rocket Boys
Rating:
3 / 5
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickman Jr. Is about an inspired teenage boy named Homer who wants to live his dream of being a rocket scientist. His father wishes he would follow him and become a miner for their small town like himself. Homer disagrees with him. After attending the Russian spacecraft Sputnik with his friends is when he decides what he wants to do. At first his father doesn't support him with his idea, but soon Homer gained support by many different people.
Homer lives in a small town in West Virginia called Coalwood. When him and his friends begin making and launching rockets, some people support them when others accuse them of creating forest fires. No matter how many people didn't have faith in them, they never gave up. While studying rockets they thought themselfs calculus. This was to calculate how high and wide the rockets flew. In the beginning they we were weak, they weren't put together right. Once homer and his friends kept on trying they began to launch rockets up to 15,000 feet. Sometimes they would fail, but they never gave up. They began to call themselves, the Rocket Boys.
The Rocket Boys began to enter tournaments for their rockets. They started at their school science fair. They got in first place. Homer continues onto the Nationals. In the nationals Homer got help from the town's people when he lost one of his materials for his rocket. The people got him the material in time for him to compete, and he won first place.
This book was inspiring but long I gained interest from it because of the movie "October Sky". I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys people reaching their dreams and success. This book is about a teenage boy, with problems with girls, friends, school, family, but most of all, rockets.
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