---
product_id: 199491
title: "Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)"
price: "₪90"
currency: ILS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/199491-rocket-boys-the-coalwood-series-1
store_origin: IL
region: Israel
---

# Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)

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Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1) [Homer Hickam] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)

Review: Terrific Book......Part Of A Tradition - I decided to pick up Rocket Boys after seeing "October Sky" with my son. October Sky, (OS) is one of the movies that was included as part of a tradition my son and I had started when he was a youngin', and still continuing today. October Sky is what I refer to as a "Dad" movie, or any movie that was either about, or included a sub plot that reflected a relationship between a father and his son. Anyone that has seen OS knows that this wonderful movie very much accomplishes that prerequisite. Other examples over the years included "Field of Dreams", "Road To Perdition" and "The Fighting Sullivans". Although my son is all grown up now, we still try to get together on occasion whenever a new Dad movie either comes along, or is discovered. I really don't expect him to make a point in his life anymore to seek out and secure every one there is available. I am happy that he at least remembers it, and joins me on watching one with me every once in a while. Reading any book together that inspired the Dad movies has not ever been part of the tradition, (that one is mine alone). And Rocket Boys (RB) is no exception. I bought RB after seeing OS, for I was very much interested in seeing just what liberties were taken with the theatrical version. Not only that, but I was also so fascinated with this truly amazing real life story, that I couldn't wait to read all the furthur details of Homer Hickam and the rocket boys life and times. I really do not want this to be just another review where I talk about Hickam's writing style, his portrayal of characters, or the differences between his book, and the movie. Let it suffice that if you loved OS and just felt at the end of it that you wished it could have just continued on a while longer, than Rocket Boys is something you should definitely take the time to read. Basically it follows the movie very well, except like any book that inspires a movie version, there is a tremendous amount of more, and greater detail about everything. Hickam's home life, the relationship with his brother, and girls, his trials and tribulations with designing and building his rocket, along with the true story of his trip to the science fair finals. If everything that is in the book was included in the movie, it would have been at least twice as long as it was. Which for those of us that loved the movie, would have been just fine. If you are someone that is fortunate enough to have a tradition such as mine, or are just someone that loved October Sky for just the wonderful, heart warming, intricate portrayal that it was, I urge you to pick up a copy of Rocket Boys. The last thing this true story is, is one of those books that is so different from the movie that you will find yourself disappointed. It will not in any way portray anything that you are not already familiar with, transport you to a different place, or introduce you to any new characters that will leave you abandoned from what the movies visuals instilled in you. It is basically October Sky, the complete story. Highly recommended...
Review: A Remarkable Book - Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr.'s first memoir Rocket Boys is a masterpiece of American literature. Hickam's acclaimed book tells an extremely inspirational story of a young man who reaches his dream against all odds. However, what separates this memoir from the numerous other "follow your dreams" stories is its vivid, lucid language. As I was reading the story, I could actually picture what it was like living in small town America in the 1950's! I could picture his friends, the town, and all of the characters. I could feel his frustrations, problems, and relationships. Although I knew the ending to the novel straight away, I could not help but feel my emotion swaying with the ups and downs of the book. At some points, I was laughing out loud, and other made me feel as if I could shed a tear. What spurs Homer "Sonny"" Hickam throughout the memoir is the constant threat of working in the coal mines, dying young and miserable. His mother fears since he does not have the athletic ability of his older brother Jim, who is expected to receive a scholarship for college, he will never make it out of the town. However, Sonny's father hopes that he will follow in his footsteps and become the superintendent of the mine. Homer, Sr. dreams for him become smashed when Sonny watches Sputnik, the first satellite to be launched into space by the Soviets, fly overhead across the West Virginia sky in October, 1957. Sonny becomes inspired both by that first intrepid launch and by the work of Werner von Braun and the Cape Canaveral rocketry team who begin to compete for supremacy in space. Sonny soon decides to try and build his own rockets. This desire eventually morphs into in the hopes of winning the National Science Fair and receiving a scholarship for college. Sonny creates the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency), consisting of Quentin Wilson, Roy Lee Cooke, Sherman Siers, O'Dell Carroll, and Billy Rose. Together they use their limited recourses, and mostly self-taught education to build rockets. They make over thirty-five rockets called the Auk I-XXI. Sonny and his exhibit called "A Study of Amateur Rocketry Techniques" ultimately make it to the 1960 National Science Fair in Indianapolis, where they win first prize. That triumph proves to be their ticket to full scholarships for college and a way out of their dying coalmining town where they had expected to be working in the mines. Sonny's quest to build a rocket using his mostly self-taught education to escape the harsh coalmines will stay with you long after you stop reading. I know that throughout my life I will use Hickam's wonderfully written memoir as an inspiration. Sonny clearly demonstrates that any dream is accomplishable. At the end of the memoir, he sums up his entire experience in a simple paragraph after talking about his abandoned town, "Yet I believe for those of us who keep it in our hearts, Coalwood still lives. The miners still trudge up the old path to the tipple, and the people bustle in and out of the Big Store and gather on the church steps after Sunday services. The fences still buzz with news and gossip, and the mountains and hollows echo with the joyful clamor of childhood adventures. The halls and classrooms of the old schools still hum with the excitement of youth, and the football fields yet roar with celebration on cold fall Friday nights. Even now, Coalwood endures, and no one, nor careless industry or overzealous government, can ever completely destroy it-not while we who once lived there may recall our life among its places, or especially remember rockets that once leapt into the air, propelled not by physics but by the vibrant love of an honorable people, and the instruction of a dear teacher, and the dreams of boys." Hickam's heartfelt memoir, Rocket Boys, is an unbelievable read that proves that through lots of work, and being curious, you can make your dreams come true.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #30,781 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in Southern U.S. Biographies #59 in Scientist Biographies #686 in Memoirs (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,409 Reviews |

## Images

![Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/714kLL3Cc8L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Terrific Book......Part Of A Tradition
*by J***S on October 31, 2009*

I decided to pick up Rocket Boys after seeing "October Sky" with my son. October Sky, (OS) is one of the movies that was included as part of a tradition my son and I had started when he was a youngin', and still continuing today. October Sky is what I refer to as a "Dad" movie, or any movie that was either about, or included a sub plot that reflected a relationship between a father and his son. Anyone that has seen OS knows that this wonderful movie very much accomplishes that prerequisite. Other examples over the years included "Field of Dreams", "Road To Perdition" and "The Fighting Sullivans". Although my son is all grown up now, we still try to get together on occasion whenever a new Dad movie either comes along, or is discovered. I really don't expect him to make a point in his life anymore to seek out and secure every one there is available. I am happy that he at least remembers it, and joins me on watching one with me every once in a while. Reading any book together that inspired the Dad movies has not ever been part of the tradition, (that one is mine alone). And Rocket Boys (RB) is no exception. I bought RB after seeing OS, for I was very much interested in seeing just what liberties were taken with the theatrical version. Not only that, but I was also so fascinated with this truly amazing real life story, that I couldn't wait to read all the furthur details of Homer Hickam and the rocket boys life and times. I really do not want this to be just another review where I talk about Hickam's writing style, his portrayal of characters, or the differences between his book, and the movie. Let it suffice that if you loved OS and just felt at the end of it that you wished it could have just continued on a while longer, than Rocket Boys is something you should definitely take the time to read. Basically it follows the movie very well, except like any book that inspires a movie version, there is a tremendous amount of more, and greater detail about everything. Hickam's home life, the relationship with his brother, and girls, his trials and tribulations with designing and building his rocket, along with the true story of his trip to the science fair finals. If everything that is in the book was included in the movie, it would have been at least twice as long as it was. Which for those of us that loved the movie, would have been just fine. If you are someone that is fortunate enough to have a tradition such as mine, or are just someone that loved October Sky for just the wonderful, heart warming, intricate portrayal that it was, I urge you to pick up a copy of Rocket Boys. The last thing this true story is, is one of those books that is so different from the movie that you will find yourself disappointed. It will not in any way portray anything that you are not already familiar with, transport you to a different place, or introduce you to any new characters that will leave you abandoned from what the movies visuals instilled in you. It is basically October Sky, the complete story. Highly recommended...

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Remarkable Book
*by M***N on February 15, 2011*

Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr.'s first memoir Rocket Boys is a masterpiece of American literature. Hickam's acclaimed book tells an extremely inspirational story of a young man who reaches his dream against all odds. However, what separates this memoir from the numerous other "follow your dreams" stories is its vivid, lucid language. As I was reading the story, I could actually picture what it was like living in small town America in the 1950's! I could picture his friends, the town, and all of the characters. I could feel his frustrations, problems, and relationships. Although I knew the ending to the novel straight away, I could not help but feel my emotion swaying with the ups and downs of the book. At some points, I was laughing out loud, and other made me feel as if I could shed a tear. What spurs Homer "Sonny"" Hickam throughout the memoir is the constant threat of working in the coal mines, dying young and miserable. His mother fears since he does not have the athletic ability of his older brother Jim, who is expected to receive a scholarship for college, he will never make it out of the town. However, Sonny's father hopes that he will follow in his footsteps and become the superintendent of the mine. Homer, Sr. dreams for him become smashed when Sonny watches Sputnik, the first satellite to be launched into space by the Soviets, fly overhead across the West Virginia sky in October, 1957. Sonny becomes inspired both by that first intrepid launch and by the work of Werner von Braun and the Cape Canaveral rocketry team who begin to compete for supremacy in space. Sonny soon decides to try and build his own rockets. This desire eventually morphs into in the hopes of winning the National Science Fair and receiving a scholarship for college. Sonny creates the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency), consisting of Quentin Wilson, Roy Lee Cooke, Sherman Siers, O'Dell Carroll, and Billy Rose. Together they use their limited recourses, and mostly self-taught education to build rockets. They make over thirty-five rockets called the Auk I-XXI. Sonny and his exhibit called "A Study of Amateur Rocketry Techniques" ultimately make it to the 1960 National Science Fair in Indianapolis, where they win first prize. That triumph proves to be their ticket to full scholarships for college and a way out of their dying coalmining town where they had expected to be working in the mines. Sonny's quest to build a rocket using his mostly self-taught education to escape the harsh coalmines will stay with you long after you stop reading. I know that throughout my life I will use Hickam's wonderfully written memoir as an inspiration. Sonny clearly demonstrates that any dream is accomplishable. At the end of the memoir, he sums up his entire experience in a simple paragraph after talking about his abandoned town, "Yet I believe for those of us who keep it in our hearts, Coalwood still lives. The miners still trudge up the old path to the tipple, and the people bustle in and out of the Big Store and gather on the church steps after Sunday services. The fences still buzz with news and gossip, and the mountains and hollows echo with the joyful clamor of childhood adventures. The halls and classrooms of the old schools still hum with the excitement of youth, and the football fields yet roar with celebration on cold fall Friday nights. Even now, Coalwood endures, and no one, nor careless industry or overzealous government, can ever completely destroy it-not while we who once lived there may recall our life among its places, or especially remember rockets that once leapt into the air, propelled not by physics but by the vibrant love of an honorable people, and the instruction of a dear teacher, and the dreams of boys." Hickam's heartfelt memoir, Rocket Boys, is an unbelievable read that proves that through lots of work, and being curious, you can make your dreams come true.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Small town, science fairs and success
*by B***O on April 21, 2014*

Homer Hadley Hickam. Junior. If ever there was a name that suggested either a captain of industry or a boy steeped in science, this is it. A little of both, I'd say. The story starts in a West Virginia town named Coalwood, and takes the reader into the home of the Hickams. All the elements of a good story are found within. The time period is set early on - a 50's nuclear family in a mining town; dad has modern day problems - he must be available to the mine around the clock. Mom dreams of a life far from Coalwood along a beach in North Carolina as witnessed by her ongoing painting of a seaside landscape. I was touched by the the mother's resolve to get through her day to day in Coalwood, in part because of the view she'd created for herself in her artwork. Brilliant. As described by the author, she's a strong woman determined to raise and prepare her sons to get a good education and a job that doesn't involve the brutal realities of mining. Two adolescent boys vie for their father's attention; one son's the high school football star,Jim, who's assured he has his father's solid interest, while the younger son, a kid swept up by rocket science, rarely captures his father's attention. The end of the story was made more satisfying because, after trying time and again to gain his father's interest,Sonny,finally does so as he's approache- ing his college years and his father's pushing towards the end of his career at the mines. The family dynamic - scrappy and straightforward, had universal themes for the reader to consider and Sonny's spirit had me cheering as he worked hard to improve his rocket-launches, built his boyhood friendships in a team of sorts, and made connections with scientists and educators beyond the world he knew well in Coalwood. I found Sonny a fearless, strong leader of his intrepid "rocket boys" who kept at his dreams even though, as a group and as individuals,they suffered failures along the way, both personal and professional - the science fair was a huge opportunity for them. Hickam played the right notes when describing the high school scene; the students drowsy morning starts along a harrowing route, the tippy toeing around the girl/boy interests, the fights that surfaced between brothers and players, and the studied, thoughtful way the young boys applied themselves to making rockets that actually flew. It's a riveting story with opening scenes focused on the family, good tension builds as Homer (Sonny) keeps at his project while navigating high school life and in the end, it was gratifying to discover that the old adage, "hard work pays off" served the Big Creek Missile Agency (BCMA) delivering the attention and accolades they deserved. Homer Hadley Hickam, Jr. triumphed in the end and the reader soars right along with those rockets. rocket-building

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*Product available on Desertcart Israel*
*Store origin: IL*
*Last updated: 2026-03-31*