posted 09-17-2008 11:02 AM               

'Rocket Boys' focus of Library's 'One Book, One Community' campaign

The award-winning account of a young boy's quest to become a rocket scientist will be the Fullerton Public Library's selection for its "One Book, One Community" reading program in October.

"Rocket Boys," the Homer Hickam autobiography that became the movie "October Sky," is the book the library has chosen for the program. Throughout October, the library will sponsor book discussions, films and activities for all ages - all focused around the reading of the book.

A special highlight of the observance will be an appearance by Roy Lee Cooke, one of the original "Rocket Boys," on Oct. 18

The "One Book, One Community" campaign was developed by the American Library Association as a means of fostering civic unity through reading. As the late Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist Mary McGrory wrote, the goal of the program "is that the city opens the same book and closes it in greater harmony."

"Rocket Boys" is Hickam's account of growing up in West Virginia at the start of the space race. In 1957, at age 14, he watches the Russian satellite Sputnik fly over his hometown of Coalwood and decides, then and there, to be part of the space era - a realized in 1981 when he became an aerospace engineer with NASA.

At his retirement in 1998, Hickam was Payload Training Manager for the International Space Station Program.

Activities planned for the month-long observance will include:

• Robert Trout, Jet Propulsion Laboratory ambassador, speaking on "Rocket into Space" Oct. 6 at the Main Library.

• Showing of the movie "October Sky" Oct. 10 at the Hunt Branch Library.

• "Blast off to Adventure" for young readers Oct. 14 at the Main Library and Oct. 16 at the Hunt Branch Library. Youngsters will explore the world of rockets and rocketry, and help with the indoor launch of a NASA-inspired rocket.

• Showing of the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" Oct. 17 at the Main Library.

• "Fall Into A Good Book", an all-day book festival, Oct. 18 at the Main Library, featuring the "Children's Planetarium" from 10 a.m.-noon, and Cooke's reflections on his book at 2:30 p.m.

• "Space and Beyond" for young readers Oct. 21 at the Main Library and Oct. 23 at the Hunt Branch Library. Youngsters will explore the universe as well as participate in science experiments and hands-on activities .

• Showing of the film "October Sky" Oct. 22, followed by a discussion in Spanish led by Bernardo Contreras at the Main Library.

• "Space Case and Company", for young readers Oct. 28 at the Main Library and Oct. 30 at the Hunt Branch Library. The program will feature Halloween stories and decorations all with a space theme.

Admission to all the "One Book, One Community" activities will be free.

Further information about the Fullerton Public Library's "One Book, One Community" program may be obtained by calling (714) 738-6326, or by logging onto the Library website.

posted 09-29-2009 05:45 PM               

To start things off with a bang: At Downey's Main City Library on Sputnik Day (October 4) at 2 pm (11121 Brokshire, Downey, CA. 90241) they are presenting "Sputnik-1 and Explorer 1" by this humble servant, Dr. Jim Busby of the Aerospace Legacy Foundation. This is a free lecture and includes items from the Busby Archives on display in a case near the main desk at the library (all month).

For the next month and a half there will be activities for all ages, such as:

• 10/21, 4 pm - "Terra Nova: The Search" with author Nathan Carlton.
  
• 11/9, 7 pm - "A Smile as Big as the Moon" with the author, teacher and special ed instructor Mike Kersjes talking about his special ed class' journey to Space Camp.
  
• 11/10, 10:30 am - "Fly Me to the Moon" preschool storytime about rockets.
  
• 11/10, 7 pm - "October Sky" film showing.
  
• 11/12, noon - "Booked for Lunch" book discussion of "Rocket Boys".
  
• 11/12 7 pm - "Rockets and Robots in space", Family Story Night for kids.
  
• 11/14 - Watch this space - cool lecture?

posted 05-28-2010 09:34 AM               

"Rocket Boys" Musical Prepares To Blast Off; Industry Presentation In New York On June 7th

Rocket Boys, the musical based on the classic New York Times #1 bestseller by Homer Hickam (also immortalized in the hit Universal Pictures film October Sky starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Hickam), is preparing for an exclusive industry presentation in New York City, Monday, June 7, 2010, at 2pm and 7pm.

Rocket Boys, the musical based on the classic New York Times #1 bestseller by Homer Hickam (also immortalized in the hit Universal Pictures film October Sky starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Hickam), is preparing for an exclusive industry presentation in New York City, Monday, June 7th, at 2pm and 7pm.

Hickam himself is attending the presentation, as are representatives from Universal (which has green-lit the musical to move forward), CBS, and the theatre community. Hickam, besides being a best-selling author, is a frequent guest on national television and radio news and talk shows commenting on the future of America's space program, coal mining issues, as well as his literary works. He frequently contributes editorials to The Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal.

"I am excited and just can't wait to see this reading in New York with all the theatre and movie people. To see Bob Picardo, an old friend, in the play is going to be so much fun," said Hickam.

Rocket Boys the musical has received a huge and overwhelmingly positive reaction from the theatre community, winning awards in New York and Los Angeles as well as being work-shopped and supported by ASCAP.

An all-Broadway-veteran cast, including Mark McVey, Andre Ward, Brooke Sunny Moriber, and Terri Klausner will star in Rocket Boys, along with acclaimed stage actor and TV personality Robert Picardo (Star Trek, Stargate). Rocket Boys is directed by theatre/movie/television veteran Carl Anthony Tramon, who also co-wrote the script with Mr. Hickam.

Rocket Boys is the memoir of a misfit high school teen in a 1950's Appalachian coal mining town who convinces skeptical friends to join him in building high-altitude rockets. At times laugh-out-loud funny, Hickam's memoir is also deeply moving, and is one of the leading community/library "One Book" reads across the country and a staple on school reading lists. To date, it has been published in at least nine languages.

Winner of the NY ASCAP / Disney Musical Theatre Workshop with Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Rags, Pippin) at the helm, Rocket Boys the musical also won ANMT's Search for New Musical Voices and was awarded a full reading and panel critique in Los Angeles. This was composer/lyricist team Diana Belkowski and Dan Tramon's second consecutive ASCAP win (unprecedented for this award), having won the previous year with their show "Flyer" based on the lives of the Wright Brothers.

Rocket Boys held its sold-out premiere in Huntsville, Alabama in May 2008 at the beautiful Merrimack Theatre. Huntsville is widely known as "Rocket City U.S.A." and is home not only to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center but also Mr. Hickam himself.