By Brittany Skillings

Monmouth Academy

I recently read the book Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr. It is about his teenage life growing up in Coalwood, West Virginia during the time of the space race. Sputnik had just been put up in to orbit by the Russians. One day while watching Sputnik race across the sky, Homer decides that he wants to build a rocket; he gathers his buddies who are Roy Le, O’Dell, Sherman, Billy, and Quentin; they make a rocket out of a flashlight, because he doesn’t know how to build a rocket he ends up blowing up his mothers rose garden fence.

At first the people of the town don’t believe they can do this but after a couple of weeks and a couple of rocket launchings, they realize that maybe these kids can get themselves out of Coalwood and go on to college. That was unusual in the Sputnik days because most boys in Coalwood who didn’t go to college probably ended up going to work in the mine with their fathers. In this book, Homer’s father is not very supportive, but all along he has helped him get supplies. Then a teacher gives him a book, on basic missile guide and she says,” All I have done is give you a book and you have the courage to learn what’s inside it.”

This book is full of adventure and it is about also following your dreams and never giving up on them. If you want to find out what happens to Homer and his friends I suggest you read the book.

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