Rocket Boys

Homer Hickam’s short article about his life as a young boy growing up in Coalwood, WV and aspiring to be a rocket scientist was called “The Big Creek Missile Agency” and was written for Air & Space Magazine in 1994. It received so much acclaim and interest, he was asked to write a book detailing the whole story. Rocket Boys: A Memoir was published by Delacorte Press in September 1998 and the movie based on it, October Sky premiered nationwide on his birthday February 19, 1999. The title of the paperback released at the same time was changed to the movie title, which is an ANAGRAM of Rocket Boys (take the letters of rocket boys and move them around to spell october sky!) It is also available in abridged audio book, electronic book, large print, and is a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book. Homer Hickam’s short article about his life as a young boy growing up in Coalwood, WV and aspiring to be a rocket scientist was called “The Big Creek Missile Agency” and was written for Air & Space Magazine in 1994.

Rocket Boys has been translated into eight languages and has received many awards. It was selected by the New York Times as one of its Great Books of 1998 and was an alternate Book-of-the-Month selection for both the Literary Guild and Doubleday book clubs. It was also nominated by the National Book Critics Circle as best Biography of 1998.