Rocket Boys

Rating:
Summary: :-)
Review: I've yet to read the book but if it is at all as good as the movie then I am sure I will enjoy it. Homer's story touches people living in small towns.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: The movie based on this book is an outstanding peace of work my the movie industry. We as a nation need more of this type of inspiration. I am a young college student that is trying to make my dream come true. My mother is always an inspiration to me. She has always said "if you can dream it you can do it." God bless this nation we live in, for it is the only nation on this earth that a man can truly dream and with hard work make that dream come true. Please give this book to every young man or woman you know that has a seemingly impossible dream.

Rating:
Summary: told from the heart
Review: hickam tels this book right from his heart, he tells all about his childhood, a very interesting one, and how he and his friends never gave up on their rockets, even when it looked bad, yet the suceeded, and i loved the book.

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring true story of a boy and his dreams.
Review: Once I opened this book I could never put it down. I had no idea who Homer Hickam was before I saw the movie; I sure was impressed with his writing style and his tales from his boyhood. I can't wait to read other books written by him.

Rating:
Summary: Surprised myself...LOVED it!
Review: I listened to this on Audio and found myself volunteering to run errands just to stay in the car longer. I didn't think I'd like this, but was enthralled. Being from a small, blue collar town in Western New York, I related to much of the culture surrounding the author's life. You cheered for him all the way through! It is uplifting, and should be a high school literature requirement.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Movie
Review: The book is, of course, great, as all the reviews reflect. I wanted to comment on the fact that the equally great movie "October Sky" (idiotically NOT titled "Rocket Boys" although it is an anagram thereof) has been, for all intents and purposes, hidden from the movie going public (it went straight to the dollar theatre here in Florida). There must have been zero promotional budget. Fools.

Rating:
Summary: Oh is this a good book.
Review: I read a lot of books. Only once in a great while does one come along that ensnares my mind and moves me this much. I think the last one that did was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when I read it in gradeschool, and I'm 30 now. Buy this book. Share it with anyone who reads. Heck, *make* people read this book. They'll never regret it.

Rating:
Summary: DELIGHTFUL!
Review: What a delightful book this is, and what a delightful man Mr. Hickham must be to have written it. Here is a man who grew up poor, with an overbearing father and an older brother-from-hell, yet there is not one ounce of self-pity or sentimentality in this book. It is a delicious retelling of the 1950s. I was so sad that the movie came out (renamed OCTOBER SKY from the original ROCKET BOYS for some reason) before the book had a chance to find its audience, and am equally sad that the movie industry chose not to publicize the movie. Not enough blood and guts, I guess. . . In a nutshell, this is what's wrong with the world today; the good is hidden and ignored by the powers that be, the rest is set up as the only thing there is. What a shame.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book!
Review: This IS a wonderful book! I was able to relate it so well from growing up as mining son in smalltown, southern, West Virginia .. not to mention a lot of personality qualities seemed the same. Other than that though, it is a great story and I truly could not leave the book alone. I had all summer to read it for class, but finished it in a week. A absolute must-read!

Rating:
Summary: Painted "living" word pictures of life in the 1950's WV
Review: From the first page, I was struck by how similar our childhoods were: Mr. Hickam's as a coal worker's son growing up in a southern West Virginia coal town and mine as a chemistry prof.s daughter growing up in Morgantown. Some things about life in the 40's and 50's were universal. I laughed and cried and cheered my way through the book--and wondered if such things would be possible in today's America. I attended WVU's graduation where he was the commencement speaker and a booksigning the day before. He comes across in person as the same "boy" who lived "Rocket Boys" and imparted more wisdom than I have heard in "many a moon". He exorted the graduates to pursue their passion with perseverance and patience. Those who read "Rocket Boys" are fortunate indeed--I have given a number of copies for graduation and birthday gifts.