Rating: 
Summary: Try the sequels, too - they're great!
Review: I teach Rocket Boys (aka October Sky) in my high school English class. It is a wonderfully written, lyrical work. As much as I love it and Mr. Hickam's work, I was astonished to learn just a month ago that there are two sequels. His publisher didn't do a very good job of advertising. I have been waiting for more from this author for a long time. I devoured the two books (The Coalwood Way, and Sky of Stone) and I was amazed to find out that they were as good or better than the first book. The Coalwood Way is the story of the Rocket Boys last Christmas in Coalwood (and much more), while Sky of Stone is a true sequel after the Rocket Boys. It's a mystery story that kept me up all night to discover one of Coalwood's vast secrets. You can't do any better than a Hickam book. I've ordered the new one - We Are Not Afraid - and am really looking forward to reading it, too.
Rating:
Summary: Excelent Read, Inspiring Story
Review: Homer Hickam jr. wrote October Sky, originally titled Rocket Boys. The autobiography was about his years in high school in the small mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia where boys grow up to play football or to work in the local mine. Where the women are stereotypes, working all day in the kitchen to have dinner ready when their coal-covered men come home. But for Homer Hickam, an unpopular geek who was in grade nine when the book begins, the town was just a confinement. An amazing, inspiring read covering the most impressive years of a seemingly ordinary boy, this book covers all the bases you want to see in a book, from laughter to romance, including petty crushes and first love in many ways. You'll be cheering and laughing and crying alongside the character in this amazing autobiography. Must read.
Rating:
Summary: Ten times better than the movie...
Review: I was pleasantly surprised when I went to see October Sky -- as were most of the other movie patrons who stood to applaud when the film had ended. That night, I went out and bought the book -- Rocket Boys -- and I was even more pleasantly surprised.Homer Hickam is apparently an extremely gifted rocket scientist, but it seems that he may be an even more gifted writer. In Rocket Boys, he expertly blends the science of rocketry with life in smalltown U.S.A. At the end, I felt as though I intimately knew "Sonny" Hickam and his family, as well as the now-extinct town of Coalwood. I have since progressed to the sequel -- The Coalwood Way -- and plan to read Sky of Stone and We Are Not Afraid, too. My only warning: a number of the details from the movie are fairly different from what you'll read in the books. My advice? Take them as two separate entities. But whether or not you watch the movie, the book is a gem and a treat unto itself, and definitely worth adding to your library.
Rating:
Summary: I'd give it 10 stars...
Review: Rocket Boys, the original title of October Sky, had been sitting on my bookshelf for quite some time now, 2 - 3 years to be exact. I never had the initiative to start reading it... until I was asked to read a memoir for my Responding to Literature class. It just so happend that October Sky was on the list, so I thought what the heck... might as well read it... saves me the trouble of looking for another book and dishing out the money to buy it. To much of my surprise, this has become one of my favorite works of literature. A sciencei fiction, fantasy, and classical literature fan, I was shocked at how amazing Homer Hadley Hickam's story was. It has touched me and connected with my own life in many ways and I'm sure it would do the same for just about anyone who's looking for an inspirational read. Trust me on this one... this is one book you DO NOT want to miss... From the day Sonny (Homer's nickname) first sight of the Sputnik, to the very much crowd-pleasing happy ending, October Sky/Rocket Boys is one book that you'll remember for a long, long time. Trust me on this one, go check this book out.
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Summary: It's HICKAM, not HickMAN
Review: As a lover of all of Homer's books, I'm astonished at how people still can't spell his name! It's Hick-am, not Hick-man. This is important to an author in this computerized age. People can't find his work if the computer has his name wrong. Homer's books are beautifully written - I would call them graceful. One page he has you laughing out loud, the next a tear trickling down your cheek. It is not too much of a stretch to mention him and Mark Twain (nowadays, it might be spelled Twane, or something) in the same breath.
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Summary: October Sky: Touching and Compelling
Review: In my opinion, October Sky is a magnificent book. My class and I were assigned to read this book. Many of my friends and peers say that this book was beyond excellent. Homer Hickman describes about his life living in Coalwood, West Virginia.
This book is a must-have in any library. Though I suggest this book to more advanced readers or else high school readers. Though, this book may be challenging to some people, it is really worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: This is a really wonderful book of Homer Hickam as he recounts his teenage years as an aspiring rocket builder. It is amazing what Homer and his friends were able to accomplish when they followed their dreams. The story is beautifully written and paints a great of picture of life in smalltown America during the 1950's. Although the film made from the book , October Sky, was also excellent there is so much that was lost in the film and the story was made to a little more "Hollywood". Perfect for anyone who enjoyed the movie of for anyone looking for a nice inspirational read. A perfect balance of humor, heartbreak, and inspiration.
Rating:
Summary: an under-rated gem...
Review: Sometimes a book comes along from which you expected nothing but which delivered an infinite amount. This is a wonderfully written memoir which reads like fiction and hits the spot in every respect. It reminded me a bit of Sleepers as the story concerns a group of boys growing up and also in the wonderful 'readability' of the narrative. Real page-turning stuff. I have seen the subsequent movie version which was a decidedly average film. Read the book instead.
Rating:
Summary: A gem
Review: I've just finished off reading a book I picked up out of idle curiosity but turned out to be an absolute delight. Homer Hickham's "October Sky", from which the movie was made, is a beautifully paced and plotted book about growing up in a West Virginia mining town during the days of Sputniks and the Space Race. There are appearances by JFK and Wernher von Braun, but the central characters are his parents, his friends who help him construct rockets, and the community of Coalwood. Entertaining, instructive and inspiring all at once, it is a gem of a book. And all the better for being true. One of his rockets made it into space eventually.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book!
Review: A tremendous book that warms the heart and brings back feelings of your youth for everyone!
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