Rocket Boys

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Summary: Inspirational and "Feel-Good"
Review: Did you know that "October Sky" is an anagram for "Rocket Boys"?

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Summary: One of the best books I have ever read!
Review: The first and only book I have ever read completely in ONE day. That says it all.

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Summary: Excellent Book!.......
Review: I treated myself to a book for my birthday. I chose Rocket Boys. What a great choice. I loved it. It brought back fond memories of the 50's and space race. I found myself disappointed only when it ended. I wanted it to go on and on. It was so good I had to see the movie. As good as the movie was, it pales in comparison to the book. Read it, you'll enjoy it.

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Summary: This inspirational book read like an old friend
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Hickam's childhood stories struck a familiar chord within me. I believe that many readers would find a memory from their childhood revealed in his words. In my case, those memories were manifested in the nature of a boys mind. Most people have struggled with the insecurities and wonders of adolescence. However, most of us have never began to accomplish the things that young Homer Hickum did. I think the most striking characteristic of this book is how inspiring it is. It is a true tale of what an individual (or group) can accomplish when their minds are set to the task. This book should inspire readers of all ages. It left me with a warm feeling that remained for days.

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Summary: Excellent story!
Review: As a coal miner's daughter growing up in southern WV, I could relate completely to growing up in the coal camps. Although the events of this story happened before I was born, I was not surprised to see that life in WV had not changed so much. As a teacher, it gives me motivation to inspire my students to be their best and to follow their dreams. I can't wait to see the movie!

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Summary: Book is better than the film
Review: After seeing the film "October Skies" I immediately headed for the bookstore where I picked up a copy of "Rocket Boys." I quickly devoured the book. Hickam is successful at revealing his own character as a teenage boy, capturing a sense of adventure in a time of hope, and dealing with a sense of the possible in a situation that should have been impossible. It also chronicles a time when one way of life is dying while another is being born. The book is more successful than the film at running the parallel events and getting inside the characters' heads. The bottom line is this work takes something very personal and makes it universal. Congratulations and Thank you!

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Summary: * EXCELLENT*- so good I could hardly put it down!!
Review: This is the best book I have read in a long time! I found everything about it extraordinary!! I would spend long nights reading and reading 'cause I just couldn't put it down. What a masterpiece! I just can't believe one person could do so much!!! I highly recommend it!:)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful reading, wish it had another 430 pages!
Review: Started a little slow but more than made up for it. Watch out, if you read it you may find yourself making model rockets.

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Summary: It takes teamwork to make big dreams come true!
Review: Being a member of the Boomer generation, the times that sparked young Sonny's dreams were easy to remember. But this book's foundation is another facet of those days that are no longer here: the fact that teamwork makes big dream come true. This is no story of one man's conquest...it is the story of one boy's determination inspiring others to believe that something so incredibly complex as building a rocket can be achieved by one of their own, and thus, by any of them. While their peers berate Sonny and his small band of "Rocket Boys", some adults understand and do more than just encourage him, they hitch along for the ride. The heartbreaking frustration of their efforts to find the right combination of propellant, for example, begins to border on comedy, as Hickam takes the reader through the generations of homemade rockets and each failure. But even the reader begins to acquire a taste for tiny victory in each failure. Each rocket brings us closer and closer to success! So what makes Rocket Boys a great read is the tale's ability to draw you into that torture of ridicule and failure because you too begin to believe!

This mood is undermined by the conflict between a father's world coming to an end, and a son's world being born, and the mirror efforts of each not to accept the other's fact. Rocket Boys is a great read, and if you know someone that doesn't read books, but would rather watch TV, give him this book as a gift, and ask him to try just 50 pages. He'll be hooked.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read in years.
Review: An excellent book. Intelligently written. Wonderful story