Major Characters
Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr. - Homer (who is called Sonny by everybody he knows) is the main character, and the story is told by him, looking back on his time in high school and on his experience building rockets at that time. Sonny is well like by nearly everybody in town. Sonny is a dynamic character, changing much throughout the novel. He starts out as a freshman, ignorant to his own capabilities and weaknesses. By building rockets, and overcoming adversity as result of that, Sonny learns much about himself and his own abilities/inabilities.
Quentin Wilson - Quentin is the nerd of his class. He isn't like by anybody he goes to school with, because he is a bit socially awkward, and doesn't fin it with what is considered a normal west virginian society. Quentin is sought out by Homer, who asks him for help with building rockets. Quentin also wants to build a Rocket, and he has to work with Homer in order to do it. Quentin for much of the novel is the brains of the rocket operation, while Homer is the builder and supplier of materials for the rockets.
Roy Lee Cooke - Roy Lee is Homer's best friend from childhood through high school. Roy Lee is the only one of the Rocket Boys with a car, so for much of the novel he is relied upon for transportation. Roy Lee is a ladies man, and Homer often has to talk Roy Lee into working on the rockets, instead of going on a date that night. Of everybody in the group, Roy Lee best understands other people, and knows how to talk to people and how to get the help of other people.
Homer Hickam, Sr. - Homer is Sonny's father. He is in charge of the mine in Coalwood. Homer is a very hard worker, giving everything he has to take care of the miners, and run the mine as perfectly as possible. Homer loves his eldest son Jim, but does not too much care for Sonny. Homer believes that the most Sonny will ever amount to is a mine worker, and that Sonny has nothing special to offer to society. When Sonny starts to build rockets, Homer reluctantly helps him by getting him supplies, but he never admits to helping him. Homer is very opinionated, and he lets his opinion be known.
Elsie Hickam - Elsie is Sonny's mother. Unlike most mothers in town, she does not support the mine that is for the town they live in. She thinks the mine is dangerous, and she hates that Homer (her husband) runs it. Elsie is the one who pushes Sonny to build a great rocket, because she thinks that by doing so he will prove to his father that he can indeed do something most people can not. She also wants Sonny to go to college, so that he will not have to be taken into the mine like so many other people from Coalwood are.
Quentin Wilson - Quentin is the nerd of his class. He isn't like by anybody he goes to school with, because he is a bit socially awkward, and doesn't fin it with what is considered a normal west virginian society. Quentin is sought out by Homer, who asks him for help with building rockets. Quentin also wants to build a Rocket, and he has to work with Homer in order to do it. Quentin for much of the novel is the brains of the rocket operation, while Homer is the builder and supplier of materials for the rockets.
Roy Lee Cooke - Roy Lee is Homer's best friend from childhood through high school. Roy Lee is the only one of the Rocket Boys with a car, so for much of the novel he is relied upon for transportation. Roy Lee is a ladies man, and Homer often has to talk Roy Lee into working on the rockets, instead of going on a date that night. Of everybody in the group, Roy Lee best understands other people, and knows how to talk to people and how to get the help of other people.
Homer Hickam, Sr. - Homer is Sonny's father. He is in charge of the mine in Coalwood. Homer is a very hard worker, giving everything he has to take care of the miners, and run the mine as perfectly as possible. Homer loves his eldest son Jim, but does not too much care for Sonny. Homer believes that the most Sonny will ever amount to is a mine worker, and that Sonny has nothing special to offer to society. When Sonny starts to build rockets, Homer reluctantly helps him by getting him supplies, but he never admits to helping him. Homer is very opinionated, and he lets his opinion be known.
Elsie Hickam - Elsie is Sonny's mother. Unlike most mothers in town, she does not support the mine that is for the town they live in. She thinks the mine is dangerous, and she hates that Homer (her husband) runs it. Elsie is the one who pushes Sonny to build a great rocket, because she thinks that by doing so he will prove to his father that he can indeed do something most people can not. She also wants Sonny to go to college, so that he will not have to be taken into the mine like so many other people from Coalwood are.
Minor Characters
Jim Hickam - Sonny's older brother by a little over a year. Jim is a spectacular athlete and a ladies man, much unlike his younger brother. Jim and Sonny are not close as brothers at the time the novel takes place, they simply co-exist in the same household.
Dorothy Plunk - Dorothy is in Sonny's class. Dorothy and Sonny are great friends and they ofter work on homework together. Sonny likes Dorothy as more than a friend, and desperately wants her to like him back. Dorothy doesn't like Sonny back however, and that causes turmoil in their relationship.
Sherman Siers - Sherman is one of the rocket boys. Sherman has a gimpy leg to a bout with polio, but he is determined not to let it hinder him. Not a lot is ever found out about Sherman, but he does provide some good ideas for the Rockets.
Jimmy "O'dell" Carroll - O'dell is another one of the rocket boys. He helps building the rockets, retrieving the rockets, and launching the rockets. O'dell isn't very involved in the design of the rockets though.
Ms. Riley - Ms. Riley is a new teacher at Big Creek High School, and is the rocket boys' science teacher. Ms. Riley pushes the school to help the boys. Thanks to Ms. Riley the rocket boys get a book on the math and science behind the flight of rockets. Using the book the boys learn how to make their rockets better in all areas. Ms. Riley is very much apart of the rocket boys success. Ms. Riley dies soon after the boys leave high school from cancer she got during the time the boys were building rockets.
Jake Mosby - Jake is an engineer from ohio who comes to Coalwood to work on the structure of the mine. Jake has an unbridled joy of life, and he lives his life to the fullest. At times when Sunny is struggling he goes to Jake and Jake provides him with much needed advice. Jake also provides financial support, along with moral support, for the rocket boys. Jake is one of the rocket boys biggest fans.
Dorothy Plunk - Dorothy is in Sonny's class. Dorothy and Sonny are great friends and they ofter work on homework together. Sonny likes Dorothy as more than a friend, and desperately wants her to like him back. Dorothy doesn't like Sonny back however, and that causes turmoil in their relationship.
Sherman Siers - Sherman is one of the rocket boys. Sherman has a gimpy leg to a bout with polio, but he is determined not to let it hinder him. Not a lot is ever found out about Sherman, but he does provide some good ideas for the Rockets.
Jimmy "O'dell" Carroll - O'dell is another one of the rocket boys. He helps building the rockets, retrieving the rockets, and launching the rockets. O'dell isn't very involved in the design of the rockets though.
Ms. Riley - Ms. Riley is a new teacher at Big Creek High School, and is the rocket boys' science teacher. Ms. Riley pushes the school to help the boys. Thanks to Ms. Riley the rocket boys get a book on the math and science behind the flight of rockets. Using the book the boys learn how to make their rockets better in all areas. Ms. Riley is very much apart of the rocket boys success. Ms. Riley dies soon after the boys leave high school from cancer she got during the time the boys were building rockets.
Jake Mosby - Jake is an engineer from ohio who comes to Coalwood to work on the structure of the mine. Jake has an unbridled joy of life, and he lives his life to the fullest. At times when Sunny is struggling he goes to Jake and Jake provides him with much needed advice. Jake also provides financial support, along with moral support, for the rocket boys. Jake is one of the rocket boys biggest fans.