October Sky
by Homer H. Hickam, Jr.
**Sonny is the nickname for Homer Hickam Jr. Homer is his dad.
Study Guide: Chapter 1 “Coalwood”
1. In chapter one, the author says he learned three truths about period in which he and his friends were building rockets. One
scientific truth deals with rocketry; what are the other two and what are their implications?
2. Was rocket building the only situation in which Homer seemed to have friction with his father? Explain.
3. Discuss Sonny's family background in relation to mining.
4. Explain (p.9) "…she said yes. It was a decision that I believed she often regretted, but still would not have changed."
5. Explain, "I lived according to the rhythms set by the shifts."
6.Explain the incident with Poppy's lap and what followed. Why doesn’t Sonny’s mom want him to be like his dad?
7. How does Sonny feel about his father’s apparent preference for his brother Jim?
Study Guide: Chapter 2 "Sputnik"
1. Why was Oct. 5, 1957, a momentous date to Sonny?
2. Explain, "I was raised an only child and so was my brother."
3. Why was Homer often disliked?
4. Who was Dorothy Plunk?
5. What was the football conflict?
6. What caused Sonny's dad and brother such embarrassment?
7. What was the result of the first rocket?
Chapter 3 "MOM"
1. Why did she want Sonny to build a rocket?
2. What prophecy did she make about Coalwood?
3. Who was Daisy Mae?
4. What did Sonny observe about his father?
Chapter 4 "The Football Fathers"
1. What caused Pooky Suggs to hate Homer?
2. What is the influence of The Football Fathers in the community? What was Sonny's dad's part in the football uproar?
3. At the Veteran’s Day parade what do Sonny’s parents do that illustrates their relationship with their children? (pg 63, 64)
4. What happened to Coalwood miners during the recession?
5. What was the friction between Sonny's dad and Mr. Dubonnet?
Study Guide: Chapter 5 "Quentin"
1. What is your impression of Quentin at the beginning of the chapter?
2 .How does Sonny get the materials for the rocket fuel?
3. Sonny and Quentin build 2 rockets. What is the purpose of these first 2 rockets?
4. What did Dorothy apparently want from Sonny?
Study Guide: Chapter 6 "Mr. Bykovski"
1. Why is it so unusual to think of a science trophy being in the Big Creek High School trophy case?
2. The whole rocket building idea moves to a new level when Sonny and the other boys do what?
3. What do you think is Sonny’s greatest obstacle?
4. Who is Mr. Bykovski and how does he get involved with the BCMA?
5. Why did Sonny name the rocket Auk?
6. What happened in the launch of Auk I?
7. The launch of Auk IV got the boys in trouble. Why?
8. What accusation did Sonny’s dad make about Sonny?
Study Guide: Chapter 7 “Cape Coalwoood”
1. What especially upset Sonny when his dad poured out his chemicals?
2. Why did Sonny feel guilty about Mr. Bykovski? How does Ike tell Sonny to repay him?
3. What made BCMA an outlaw organization?
4. How did they feel about kids in Welch?
5. For what were they searching?
6.
7.
8.
9.
What did Elsie tell Mr. Hickam he’s regretting?
How did the sermon end differently than it had begun?
Who located a site for the boys?
What else did Sonny ask of his dad?
Chapter 8- Construction of the Cape
1. What decision does con Braun make that prompts Sonny to make the same decision his goal?
2. What two announcements does the principal, Mr. Turner, make at the assembly near the end of Sonny’s grade 10 year and
what is the reason for each?
3. Why does Jim blame his dad for the team being put on probation by the state?
4. What is the good news Sonny gets at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 9: Jake Mosby (Auks V-Viii)
1. Who was Jake Mosby? What was his former career? Does he have money?
2. According to Jake, what are the two things every woman really wants? Do you think this is actually true?
3. The boys need cement—dad says he can have ruined cement. However, it’s actually perfect. What do you think this signifies
between dad and Homer?
4. How are the Rocket Boys affecting the town?
5. What does Jake say about the rockets?
6. Every miner goes on vacation the first two weeks of July. How is the marriage between Elise and Homer on vacation? What
can you presume about their marriage from this chapter?
7. Ok- who does Homer wants to invite to the launch but why won’t this person be invited?
Chapter 10: Miss Riley (Auks IX-XI)
1. How have things changed with the Rocket Boys and the football team at school? You go Quentin! ;)
2. What’s Dorothy doing to Sonny?
3. What did O’Dell and Roy Lee do that causes the boys to get into a heap of trouble? What is their punishment?
4. How did the punishment get lessened and why do you think it got lessened?
5. Who seems to support the Rocket Boys? Who doesn’t seem to support them?
6. What is Rocket Candy? (I wouldn’t eat this if I were you)
Chapter 11: Rocket Candy (Auks XII-XIII)
1. Despite the fact that the boys blow up almost everything, does mom still support them? In fact, what does she call them to the
group of men?
2. Many show up for the launch. What have the Rocket Boys done for this town? Can the mine still draw these feelings in the
townspeople?
3. Good ole Buck tries to cause problems—however, what does he get forced into doing?
4. Dad decides that it’s time that Homer knows what an engineer actually does. However, that’s not the true reason dad takes
him into the mine. What is the true reason? How does Sonny react? What does his mother say?
Chapter 12: The Machinists (Auks XIV-XV)
1. How is Sonny’s relationship to his dad now?
2. What are Mr. Bykovski’s views on forgiveness and redemption?
Why does Sonny keep telling Miss Riley that the rocket boys aren’t ready for the science fair?
3. How do the boys have to pay for their supplies (considering they don’t have money)?
4. What quote does von Braun write on Sonny’s picture? How does this affect Sonny?
Chapter 13: The Rocket Book (this is a funny chapter)
1. What book does Miss Riley give Sonny?
2. Does Sonny have any tact when it comes to kissing? 
Chapter 14: The Pillar Explosion (Auks XVI-XIX)
1. What was Luna 1? What did it do?
2. Please laugh at Quentin’s ignorance about women. How has Quentin changed over the course of the book?
Chapter 15: The State Troopers
1. Why are the boys being bothered by the state troopers? Honest mistake or trying to take them down?
2. What happened to Sonny’s calc class? What is so ironic about why he didn’t make it in?
3. Who is in the home that makes Sonny’s dad so nervous?
Chapter 16: A Natural Arrogance (Auks XX)
1. What does Sonny finally confront his dad about? What is dad’s reaction? How is his relationship with his dad now?
2. What finally convinces Sonny to enter the science fair?
3. What does the machinist do that angers Quentin? Why does it anger him so?
4. What does Quentin say about college? Why is this rocket business so much more than fun for him?
Chapter 17: Valentine
1. At the Dugout, Sonny sees Valentine with?
2. But then, he sees Dorothy with whom (which really makes him mad/disappointed)?
3. Who offers to dance with Sonny? What’s she doing to him?
4. Why does Sonny end up feeling sorry for Buck?
Chapter 18: The Bump
1. Why does Elsie slap Sonny and tell him that he is selfish after the mine accident? How does Sonny feel about this?
2. What does the doctor tell Sonny when he wants to take the blame for Ike’s death?
3. What happened to Sonny’s father?
4. What does “You an all the children in Coalwood belong to all the people. It’s unwritten law, but that’s the way everybody
feels” mean (pg. 290)? This has a deeper significance with the mining town.
Chapter 19: Picking Up and Going On (Auk XXI)
1. Why does Miss Riley say he should continue?
2. What does Mrs. Bykovski say about her husband’s relationship to Sonny? What does she say he should do?
3. How has the Hickman family changed since the accident?
4. Roy Lee and Homer get into an argument about how Sonny has treated the boys. Why isn’t Sonny sorry that Roy Lee hit
him?
Chapter 20: O’Dell’s treasure
1. Why do the boys that are home for the summer go for the iron pipe? Why do they need money?
2. What happens to Sonny?
Chapter 21: Zincoshine (Auks XXII, A, B, C, and D)
1. What is the miners’ union response to the mining company selling all of the houses?
2. The boys need to go buy pure alcohol for their rocket fuel. While they are there, though, what does John Eye do to them?
3. Who is Mr. Fuller?
4. Because of the sell off, what has happened to the church and Reverend Lanier?
5. And, because of the wind, Aux XXII-D landed where?
6. Who wants to shut them down? What does the town say?
7. When Fuller tries to take their land, dad gets it back. What does dad mean when he says “If you fail now, you can’t blame
me. You’ll have only yourself to blame. Understood?”
Chapter 22: We Do the Math (Auks XXIII-XXIV)
1. Where did Jim leave to go? When he left, what did Homer now have access to and what is he doing with it?
2. Quentin is really pushing Sonny—why is he doing this?
3. What’s happening to Miss Riley?
5. What do they find when the rocket goes off course? MONEY! YA!
6. What happens to the rocket that they plan to set off before the formal? How high does it go?
7. Who does Sonny dance with and go home with from the formal?
8. What conversation are Sonny and his dad having before the bullet flies by dad’s head?
Chapter 23: Science Fairs (Auks XXV)
1. What does mom want to buy in Myrtle Beach? What has she been doing with the pay checks dad gave her?
2. Homer is going to represent Big Creek—why?
3. What disease does Miss Riley have?
4. Why does Sonny believe that the rocket boys have no chance of winning at the science fair?
5. What place do they take? Why do you think Sonny wants to tell his father about the placing? YA! More fame!
6. What happens to Daisy Mae?
7. What is the outcome at the State Science Fair?
Chapter 24: A Suit for Indianapolis
1. Who does mom send with Sonny to buy a suit?
2. What color does he end up buying?
Chapter 25: The National Science Fair
1. Why can’t dad leave to go to Myrtle Beach?
2. What suit is Sonny wearing? ;)
3. Why is Sonny further discouraged about his project?
4. Who does Tex says Sonny is planning to win for?
5. However, the next morning, what does Sonny find has happened to his project?
6. Therefore, what to the people of Coalwood do?
7. Who does Sonny go off to try and find? However, even though he doesn’t get to meet him, what does this person say about
the project?
8. What place has Sonny’s project taken?
9. Where is Riley?
Chapter 26: All Systems Go (Auks XXVI-XXXI) June 4, 1960
1. What happened in Coalwood after Sonny’s nozzles had been stolen?
2. Why did Sonny’s dad sign the agreement?
3. During the last launch, how many people showed up?
4. Who does show up?
5. How many feet did the last rocket fly?
6. What is the relationship between Sonny and dad at the end of the novel?