Characters Sonny (main character) Else Hickam (Sonny's mother) Homer Hickam (Sonny's father) Jim Hickam (Sonny's brother) Quentin (Asked to join BCMA) Jimmy (Member of BCMA) Sherman ( Member of BCMA) Roy Lee (Sonny's best friend & Member of BCMA) Willie ( Last person to join BCMA) Dr. Wernher von Braun (German rocker scientist) Miss Riley (A chemistry teacher at Big Creek HS) Jake Mosby ( mining engineer who introduces BCMA to a newspaper writer) Dorothy ( Sonny's crush) Emily (Dorothy's best friend) Valentine (A older girl who consoles Sonny) Mr. Bykovski (A miner who helps Sonny with his 1st rocket) Mrs. Bykovski (Mr.Bykovski's wife who later inspired Sonny to build a rocket in honor of her husband) Geneva Eggers ( A prostitute who saved Sonny from freezing to death) Buck Trant ( Football player who hates Sonny) Rev.Richard ( Minister for black church) Rev.Lanier ( Methodist preacher for the company church) R.L. Turner ( High School Principal) Mr. Hartfield ( Math Teacher) Clinton Caton (Welder, Key person to Sonny's win at the National Science fair) Mr. Fuller (Temporary superintendent of Coalwood) Mr.Ferro ( In charge of a group company machinists who helped BCMA build rockets) John Dubonnet (Union leader)