Homer hickam s memoir october sky is the story of homer and his love for rocketry during the space race. His awards for writing are many and include the university of alabamas clarence cason award and shepherd universitys. Weatherford award in 1998, the year of its release. The book is dedicated to mom and dad and the people of coalwood. It is also studied in many school systems around the world. 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. The boys lived in a town dominated by the coal mining industry, a career that loomed over them like a. It is the story of homer growing up in coalwood, west virginia. This commentary and discussion questions were written by linda terry hickam, assistant and wife. Many schools from fifth grade to college are studying rocket boysoctober sky in their classrooms, including english, math, and science classes. Hickam, 9780440235507, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It is a story of growing up in a mining town, and a boys pursuit of amateur rocketry in a coal mining town. October sky by homer hickman is an story that looks into a small coal town. October sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by homer hickam jr.
One of the most beloved bestsellers in recent years, rocket boys is a uniquely american memoir. Through homer hickam s marvelous memoirs, readers have been transported to coalwood, west virginia, of the late 1950s first in rocket boys made into the film october sky, then the coalwood way, and now sky of stone. However in october 1957, everything changes when the first. The author wished the movie to be called rocket boys, like the book its based. Written by homer hickam about his childhood growing up in a small mining town during the days of the early space race, rocket boys, also called october sky, is in many ways a symbol of the entire space race. On october 5, 1957, bookworm homer hickams world changed forever. Homer hickams memoir october sky is the story of homer and his love for rocketry during the space race. A memoir in 1998 and the premiere of the movie october sky in 1999, many of my readers and fans have wondered 1. Homer hickam is the author of many books including the acclaimed memoir rocket boys that was made into the film october sky. Rocket boys, perhaps best known as the book that inspired the movie october sky, is a heartwarming comingofage. Homers family is an important element in the story.
Later editions were published as october sky as a tiein to the 1999. October sky by homer hickam booksamillion online book store. October sky orignally published as rocket boys 9780440235507 by 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.
Miss riley laura dern gives homer jake gyllenhaal a book to fuel his dreams. Because it is written at the authors point of view, you can visualize hickam jr. In the book october sky, the boys had many obstacles to overcome. This book inspired the movie october sky it is the type of book i will be lending to everyone. Homer hickam talks about building rockets and the october sky.
Chapterbychapter october sky summary rocket boys by. Sonny is the head coal minnings kid, most kids in this town follow the footsteps in becoming part of the coal mine. Rocket boys by homer hickam book club discussion questions. He has appeared on multiple television series as himself. This is the true story that inspired the feature film october sky. Student questions reference the edition quoted in the front cover dell paperback edition, 1998 by homer h. October sky by homer hickam in chm, fb2, rtf download ebook. The book is set in coalwood, west virginia, a long way from aberdare in the valleys of south wales. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by.
It is mostly a true story though the author admits to taking some license about homer hickam, jr. October sky rocket boys critique strategies by homer h. October sky, novel units student packet, grades 912. 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. Rocket boys and this mass market paperback titled october sky are the same book. Born in 1943, homer grew up in west virginia in coalwood. From rocket boys to october sky audiobook by homer hickam. Originally titled the rocket boys when hickam wrote it in 1998, the book can also be found under the title october sky which was released in conjunction with the movie tiein in 1999. Coalwood is in a small town and the main activity is coal mining. The story is about a young man who gets inspired to build his own rocket and become a scientist after witnessing the passage of sputnik i over the united states in october 1957.
October skyrocket boys by tina55 see profile 040114 our book club enjoyed reading this book the reading guide provided on the homer hickam website really helped us evaluate the. What obstacles did the boys in october sky have to face to. Entrepreneurship is a career path that doesnt always prove to be an instant success. A memoir in 1998 and the premiere of the movie october sky in 1999, many homer hickam listeners and fans have wondered how and why he wrote the book, and how the movie was made. From rocket boys to october sky audiobook by homer. This readers group guide for homer hickam s october sky is designed to stimulate discussion and enhance the readers appreciation of this exceptional book. 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. Interestingly, october sky is an anagram of rocket boys, the same letters just moved around. This article will give you a chapter by chapter october sky summary. His awards for writing are many and include the university of alabamas clarence cason award and shepherd universitys appalachian heritage authors award. The boys lived in a town dominated by the coal mining industry, a career that loomed over them like a dark shadow. Posted jul 23, 2014 reel vs real, october sky and rocket boys 7. October sky by homer hickam my husband asked me to read this for him because he wanted to use it for class that he is teaching, but he knows that im a fasterbetter reader than him. It was 1957, the year sputnik raced across the appalachian sky, and the small town of coalwood, west virginia, was slowly dying.
All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Dec 30, 2015 october sky by homer hickam in chm, fb2, rtf download ebook. As you read this memoir, did you begin to feel as if you knew the people involved. Homer hickam, the main character of the movie, would never succeed in his rocket dream without the extraordinary inspiration and encouragement from miss riley. Homer hickam talks about building rockets and the october. As the boys began to light up the tarry skies with their flaming projectiles and dreams of glory, coalwood, and the hickams, would never be the same. Oct 18, 2019 this movie was made from homer hickams book rocket boys. 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. Michelle thompson october sky september 30, 2012 professor bejtlich the movie october sky is about homer hickam who was inspired to build a rocket and never gave up until his dreams became a reality. October sky is a 1999 american biographical drama film directed by joe johnston and starring jake gyllenhaal, chris cooper, chris owen, and laura dern. Faced with an uncertain future, sonny hickam aka homer hickam, jr. He is an american veteran and was an engineer for nasa.
Today, it is one of the most often picked communitylibrary reads in the united states. October sky by homer hickam overview 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 mining town and the boys who came to embody both its tensions and its dreams. It was 1957, and the small mining town of coalwood, west virginia, was slowly dying. Mar 04, 2011 buy october sky new ed by hickam, homer isbn. Books about hickam, homer h what should i read next. Jimmy odell carroll is small and excitable, the most emotional member of the group. October sky was followed by the coalwood way, sky of stone, and carrying albert home.
He is the author of october sky, which was turned into a 1999 feature length film. It was 1957, the year sputnik raced across the appalachian sky, and. Homer s family is an important element in the story. The true story of homer hickam, a coal miners son who was inspired by the first sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his fathers wishes. Up to 20 books are listed, in descending order of popularity. When in wales recently i finished reading october sky by homer h hickam, which seemed to have a certain synchronicity for me at that moment in time. Faced with an uncertain future, homer hickam nurtured a dream.
The real homer hickam jr often attends the annual rocket boysoctober sky. They wouldnt care if you lived in a governors mansion. The true story, originally published as rocket boys, that inspired the universal pictures film. What obstacles did the boys in october sky have to face. 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. October sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by american engineer homer hickam jr. October sky is a movie about how a hillbilly accomplished his dream of building rockets and got out from the falling mining hometown named coalwood. 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. With the same dazzling storytelling that distinguished his first memoir, homer hickam takes us deeper into the soul of his west virginia hometown at a moment when its unique way of life is buffeted by forces of time and change. In homer hickmans october sky, a group of young boys in a small mining town have decided that they are determined to build a rocket. A perfect hollywood opening scene, the story behind the hit film october sky is all the more remarkable because it is drawn from the real life of former engineer homer hickam.
Hickams body of written work also includes several additional best. On october 5, 1957, bookworm homer hickam s world changed forever. See more ideas about october sky, great movies and homer hickam. The proper title of the book, however, is and always shall be rocket boys.
Author homer hickam talks differences in rocket boys and film october sky updated jan, 2019. October skyrocket boys by tina55 see profile 040114 our book club enjoyed reading this book the reading guide provided on the homer hickam website really helped us evaluate the book. October sky by homer hickam pdf free download ebook. In october sky by homer hickam, what does auk stand for.