The Rocket Boys Sparknotes

The legendary car maker Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." In Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, many characters work with Sonny to help him achieve great things. The support from others in Coalwood is the main reason Sonny is successful. The townsfolk help him learn about rockets, make rockets, and launch rockets. First, the people of Coalwood help Sonny learn about Rockets. One of the people who helps Sonny the most throughout the novel is Miss Riley. Sonny mentions to Miss Riley that they need a book at one point to be ready to enter the science fair, so she got them a book. Upon finding a page about De Laval nozzles, Quentin says, "we're going to fly rockets not

Quentin mentions that information in the book Miss Riley gives them could help them achieve higher altitudes. Therefore, the information in the book can help them reach success, because it helps their rockets get to higher altitudes. Miss Riley gives them that book, so in doing that she supports their achievements in a big way. Another way Miss Riley helps the boys learn about how they can improve their rockets is by organizing innovative experiments that help them learn about different reactions. Big Creek High School gives Miss Riley very few resources to aid her teaching, but she manages to find ways to showcases reactions and experiments using what materials you have. After one such experiment with a particularly good reaction, Quentin says, "I think we've got our next rocket propellant,"(224). The Rocket Boys had reached the maximum results they were going to get from their old propellant, so they needed a new one. This experiment features lots of gas and smoke, which are two things that help drive a rocket, so it can be inferred that this new rocket propellant will make a good propellant. A better propellant will help them reach higher altitudes, which were

Mr. Ferro is the head honcho at the machine shop, and he and his team contribute greatly to the engineering of Sonny's rockets. At one point in the story, Sonny returns home to find a note on his desk from Mr. Ferro asking, "How about we countersink the nozzle," to which Sonny replies that it is a good idea because "[Sonny] figured [they'd] get a little increase in altitude as a result," of saving mass (229). This quote shows Mr. Ferro offering ideas and help on improvements to the rockets, something he does often in the novel. Sonny is always trying to improve his rockets and make them fly higher. This is why it is significant that Mr. Ferro's ideas would cause an increase in altitude. Sonny's rockets would not be nearly as high flying or well built without this help from Mr. Ferro. So, Mr. Ferro clearly helps Sonny on his path to success. The town also comes together to help Sonny create rockets for display not just for launch. When Sonny's rocket parts are stolen at the science fair, he needs new ones to have any shot at success in the contest. The tension in the town is running extremely high, because of the strike, so the union won't let Mr. Caton use the shop to help Sonny. Mr. Caton proceeds to tell the union organizer that, "Now, look here, you won't find a better union man than me and I know we don't have no contract, but we got to help that boy. He's not up there just for