Blasting off with Rocket Boys in 2010

Galveston Reads 2010 blasts off! The first GReads event was held at Mosquito Café on January 6, 2010. Pat Bumpus led a lively discussion of this year’s book, Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. Readers may be familiar with the movie, “October Sky,” which was the film adaptation of Hickam’s memoir about growing up in the late 1950’s fascinated with rocketry while living in the declining mining town of Coalwood, Virginia. The participants in the first discussion agreed that the book is a true heart-warmer with many universal themes with which we all can relate. Similarities to Galveston’s decline since Hurricane Ike are obvious. Other prevalent themes were the impact of mentors on young people, parental hopes for their children, and economic forces on people’s lives. Hickam also illuminates his tale with various humorous escapades of his band of rocket boys. Readers will be inspired by this story of how one boy’s focus on a dream changed not only his life, but also the lives of his friends, family, and town, and now touches millions.

GReads encourages everyone in the city to read Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam, as part of the Rosenberg Library, “One City, One Book” project. Whether you’ve read the book or not, join us for one of the upcoming discussion groups and be inspired! On March 9, 2010, one of the original rocket boys, Roy Lee, will visit Galveston – join us and hear the story come alive again!

The next book discussion group will be held at Galveston Bookshop on Tuesday, January 12 at 5:30 pm.

The following events are sponsored by Galveston Reads, in cooperation with Rosenberg Library, a “One City, One Book” project from January through March 2010.

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J. Elizabeth Spears and Poom Sunhachawi-Taylor