In 1957, the year homer began building rockets, there were only 2,000 people living there. In 1998, delacorte press published hickams second book, rocket boys. How the classic memoir rocket boys was written and the hit movie october sky was made by homer hickam goodreads author 4. Given the films warm reception among critics and audiences, we queued this worthy film up for your consideration. The real homer hickam jr often attends the annual rocket boysoctober sky. If youre interested in booking homer hickam to speak. October sky coalwood mass market paperback 16 february 1999 by homer hickam author visit amazons homer hickam page. Faced with an uncertain future, homer hickam nurtured a dream.
Jake gyllenhaal and the film october sky matt lynn digital. The author of torpedo junction, a military history book of the month club selection, as well as numerous articles for such publications as smithsonian air and space and american history illustrated, he is a nasa payload training manager for the international space program and lives in huntsville, alabama. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Not only is jim a football star, but the girls love him. Hickams body of written work also includes several additional bestselling memoirs and novels. Although i was a teenager more than a decade later than hickam was, some of the things he wrote about hit close to home. It was 1957, and the small mining town of coalwood, west virginia, was slowly dying.
Faced with an uncertain future, sonny hickam aka homer hickam, jr. He even tackles books on the junior high level while still in 4th grade. Today, it is one of the most often picked community. The author wished the movie to be called rocket boys, like the book its based. Book releases in early april from thomas nelson fiction.
Looking back after a distinguished nasa career that fulfilled his boyhood ambition, hickam shares the story of his youth, taking readers into the life of the little. Quentin wilson is the most intelligent member of the rocket boys and the person who does figures out most of the math in the group. Hickam, jr download file to see previous pages homers sole opponent was his own father, the town mines superintendent, who desired him to become a miner and clamped down on his ambitions. See more ideas about october sky, great movies and homer hickam. October sky the title on the mass market movie tiein version of the bestselling the rocket boys is the first memoir in a series of four, by homer hickam jr. Homer hickams official website official site for the original rocket boys, the o. Told with the warmth and downhome charm that made rocket boys a beloved bestseller, homer hickams rollicking novel is truly a testament to that strange and marvelous emotion we call. It was published by wheeler publishing and has a total of 512 pages in the book. In 1998, delacorte press published hickams second book, rocket boys, the story of his life as the son of a coal miner in. Homer describes his hometown of coalwood, west virginia.
He fell in with a group of misfits who learned not only how to turn scraps of metal into sophisticated rockets but how to sustain their hope in a. Homers family is an important element in the story. The book is dedicated to mom and dad and the people of coalwood. The group called themselves the big creek missile agency and would go on to be known as the rocket boys. One of the most beloved bestsellers in recent years, rocket boys is a uniquely american memoir. Elsie lavender hickam character analysis in rocket boys. In october sky by homer hickam, what does auk stand for. It is the story of homer growing up in coalwood, west virginia.
This is the true story that inspired the feature film october sky. October sky is a 1999 film directed by joe johnston, starring jake gyllenhaal, laura dern, and chris cooper. She frequently quarrels with her husband about life in the mines. His awards for writing are many and include the university of alabamas clarence cason award and shepherd universitys appalachian heritage authors award. He graduated from big creek high school in 1960 and from the virginia polytechnic institute virginia tech in 1964 with a bs degree in industrial engineering. Homer hickam is the author of many books including the acclaimed memoir rocket boys that was made into the film october sky. Carrying albert home tells the sweet, funny and sometimes heartbreaking tale of a young couple and their special pet on a crazy 1,000 mile journey. His 1998 memoir rocket boys also published as october sky was a new york times best seller and was the basis for the 1999 film october sky. Interesting that october sky the name of the movie is an anagram of rocket boys the name of the book the original name anyway. The true story, originally published as rocket boys, that inspired the universal pictures film. Rocket boys by homer hickam, also called october sky, is the story of a young boy growing up coalwood, a west virginia mining town. His brother does so by being the son who has earned his fathers respect, and homer wants to achieve that feeling. Homer hickam, author of the memoir rocket boys made into the movie october sky, recalls his first years as a nasa engineer while also telling the story of his fluffy black and white cat paco who had the magic ability to make people smile and give t. Buy october sky coalwood book online at low prices in.
October sky 1999 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. On october 5, 1957, bookworm homer hickams world changed forever. It is a story of growing up in a mining town, and a boys pursuit of amateur rocketry in a coal mining town. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Homer hickam reveals how director joe johnston came up with the name for the popular film. October sky rocket boys critique strategies by homer h. Hickam has also written a number of bestselling memoirs and novels including the josh thurlow. Homer hickams memoir october sky is the story of homer and his love for rocketry during the space race. Weatherford award in 1998, the year of its release. In the book rocket boys, the main character is always called sonny. This commentary and discussion questions were written by linda terry hickam, assistant and wife.
While his football star brother jim scored his way through coalwoods prettiest girls toward an assured football scholarship, homer and a few of his friends were glued to a telescope with their eyes on that night sky between the mountain ridges, to watch tiny, 24 pound sputnik. A numberone new york times bestseller in mass market, brought to the screen in the acclaimed film october sky, homer hickams memoir, nominated for the national book critics circle award, comes to trade paperback with an allnew photo insert. Oct 18, 2019 this movie was made from homer hickams book rocket boys. Order of importance in the beginning, it tells of how homer was interested in building a rocket after he heard about sputnik on the radio. Hickam served as a first lieutenant in the fourth infantry. Filled with interesting characters, ideas and life lessons, it also has a lot of excellent quotes which encapsulate both the themes and ideas of the book as well as the tone of the time that the book was written in. Although most of her family is involved in mining, she despises every aspect of the life of a miner. October sky by homer hickam pdf free download ebook. Extract of sample rocket boys aka october sky hardcover by homer h. Homer hickam books list of books by author homer hickam.
Unlike his older brother jim, who is a high school football star, sonny has no idea. Jim, homers brother did not receive a football scholarship from west virginia. Jimmy odell carroll is small and excitable, the most emotional member of the group. October sky orignally published as rocket boys 9780440235507 by homer hickam. Many schools from fifth grade to college are studying rocket boysoctober sky in their classrooms, including english, math, and science classes.