Rocket Boys Characters

Homer Hickam Jr.’s friend, and the treasurer of the BCMA, O’Dell is an intelligent young man. He’s often responsible for obtaining materials for the BCMA’s rocket designs, and while his schemes often fail, he’s responsible for many important rocket supplies. Ultimately, O’Dell becomes a farmer.

The founder of Coalwood, and the first man to mine for coal underneath it. His son was in the army with William Laird.

Homer Hickam Sr.’s father and Homer Hickam Jr.’s grandfather, Poppy works as a Coalwood miner for many years. After an accident in the mine, he spends the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Elsie Lavender Hickam’s brother, a miner.

Elsie Lavender Hickam’s brother, a miner.

Elsie Lavender Hickam’s brother, a miner.

Elsie Lavender Hickam’s brother, a miner.

Elsie Lavender Hickam’s sister, who’s married to a miner.

A loyal friend to Dorothy Plunk, as well as a close confidant of Homer Hickam Jr.

A classmate of Homer Hickam Jr., and, at the beginning of Rocket Boys, the only girl he’s ever kissed.

A loud, obnoxious bully and member of the Big Creek high school football, Buck teases Homer for his interest in rockets.

A rude, obnoxious young man who lives in Coalwood and resents the Hickam family because he blames Homer Sr. for his father’s death in the mines. Pooky bullies and teases Homer throughout the novel as Homer experiments with rockets.

A friendly miner who encourages Homer’s experiments with rockets.

A member of the BCMA who joins later than his peers, Billy is a talented student—ultimately the high school’s salutatorian.

An adventurous, flirtatious Big Creek High School student who often expresses her attraction to Homer. It’s implied that Homer loses his virginity to Valentina. She later marries Buck—a fact that makes Homer very nervous.

A short-term boyfriend of Dorothy Plunk.

A worker at the Coalwood machine store who provides Homer and the BCMA with important advice and help regarding their rockets, but insists that the BCMA “pay” him for his efforts.

A lumber worker who lives in Coalwood.

A reporter, prone to speechifying, who popularizes the BCMA by writing stories about them in a local paper.

The Coalwood town constable.

Coalwood’s general mining superintendent, and Homer Hickam Sr.’s immediate superior.

The wife of Mr. Isaac Bykovski, Mrs. Mary Bykovski loves and supports Homer, and after her husband’s death, plays the decisive role in convincing Homer to persist with his experiments.

The head of the “tipple shop” where Homer purchases steel tubing.

A machinist at the machine shop, Mr. Caton helps Homer build rockets, even when Homer has nothing to pay him in return. He teaches Homer how to design technical, engineering drawings, and even builds rockets for the BCMA in the midst of a strike, risking his career.

One of Homer’s high school classmates.

An engineer whose research on nozzles, air pressure, and propulsion plays a major role in the success of the BCMA’s later rockets.

Mr. Hartsfield is Big Creek High School’s math teacher. He reluctantly agrees to teach calculus when Homer asks him.

A Coalwood local, popular with teenagers, who hosts lavish parties and loves to play rock 'n roll music.

a local bootlegger who provides the BCMA with the alcohol it needs to make rocket fuel.

The new general superintendent of the Coalwood mine, replacing Mr. Van Dyke, Mr. Fuller is a small, pugnacious man, sent by the mining company to oversee the aftermath of a union strike. He leaves shortly after the strike is resolved.

A beautiful classmate of Homer’s, with whom he attends both his high school’s Christmas formal and the senior prom.

A childhood friend of Homer who’s forced to leave Coalwood after his father dies tragically in the mine.

The Coalwood doctor, an employee of the mining company.

A middle-aged woman and, it’s implied, Coalwood’s resident prostitute, whom Homer Sr. saved when she was only a baby. Geneva returns Homer Sr.’s gift by taking care of Homer Jr. when he gets lost in a snowstorm.

The 35th President of the United States of America, and a key supporter of NASA and the space effort.

Mr. Turner’s wife, and a teacher at Big Creek High School.

A miner who helps the BCMA find tin.

The son of Pooky Suggs.

A clerk at the Big Store.