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2010 ► Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam, Jr.
Rocket Boys is a skillfully written memoir that captures the wonder of the early years of space exploration
and reminds us of the mid-century wonder of seeing Sputnik in the night sky. In his honest rendering of his youth, the author evokes the universal angst of being a teenager while showing that anyone can rise above their circumstances. Brought to the screen as
"October Sky”, the novel is far richer and contains many more details about his life and times. Galveston Reads encourages reading by offering
programs held at various locations throughout Galveston County that
revolve around the selection. Past selections include Tortilla
Curtain, by T.C. Boyles; Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team , and
a Dream, by H. G. Bissinger; A Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night, by Mark Haddon; Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in
America, by Barbara Ehreinreich, A Lesson Before Dying, by
Ernest J. Gaines, and The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls. Programming has included local discussion groups led by
trained discussion leaders, theatrical presentations, author visits and
panel discussions, including the ever popular evening with three local
English professors. The Galveston Reads committee is excited about the selection
of
Rocket Boys, one of three finalists chosen from the dozens
of books reviewed by the book nomination committee. Other finalists were
The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh and
Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer. 2009 book
Galveston Reads
is a voluntary organization composed of community representatives. It’s
modeled after ‘one city, one book’ projects around the country that are
designed to promote the reading of the same book at the same time by their
residents of high school age through senior citizens. The committee
endeavors to choose a book of interest to this community and to use the
accompanying events to unify the community of Galveston County by
encouraging reading and thoughtful
discussions. |
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Page last updated 04/30/09 |