What do you think?
Rate this book
Rocket Man
If only Bob could go back to being the Mr. Invisible of his superhero days. Back when he wasn’t always being compared to his super-talented hardcore basketball god brother and perfect little sister. Back when Roy and Kyle didn’t know he existed. To make matters even worse, his dad is really sick and getting sicker.
When Bob begins planning a fundraiser basketball game in support of cancer research, things start to look up. With Roy being temporarily out of the picture after terrorizing some little kids, Bob finally gets a chance to play on the D1 basketball team and ends up helping Roy complete his community service. Maria seems to be becoming more than a friend, and even big brother James starts paying more attention to him, and gives Bob some pointers on how to become The Rocket Man. But cancer rears its ugly head again when a bad fall lands Dad in a wheelchair. Will he be strong enough to make it to the Hoop Heroes 4 Health game?
When Bob begins planning a fundraiser basketball game in support of cancer research, things start to look up. With Roy being temporarily out of the picture after terrorizing some little kids, Bob finally gets a chance to play on the D1 basketball team and ends up helping Roy complete his community service. Maria seems to be becoming more than a friend, and even big brother James starts paying more attention to him, and gives Bob some pointers on how to become The Rocket Man. But cancer rears its ugly head again when a bad fall lands Dad in a wheelchair. Will he be strong enough to make it to the Hoop Heroes 4 Health game?
120 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2014
1 person is currently reading
107 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews
April 20, 2014
As an unremarkable eight-grade student and the middle child in a busy family, Bob “the Blob” Prescott feels almost like he’s turned into Mr. Invisible. Even when Bob’s out on the court playing the game that he loves, he’s constantly overshadowed by the basketball legends of his father and his older brother James. When Bob finally earns himself a backup spot on the Division 1 team, his accomplishments just don’t seem to matter much in comparison to his Dad’s long battle with cancer. At the height of the basketball season, Bob’s put to the ultimate test when he agrees to design a charity basketball game in order to raise money for cancer research. Will he be able to succeed in the spotlight, or is Bob doomed to remain “Mr. Invisible” forever?
One thing that I really enjoyed about “Rocket Man” is how the book relies very heavily on the sport of basketball as a setting, but the actual story itself is about the relationships between the characters. This is not a book about basketball, even though the sport is something that has always served to bring Bob, his father and his brother closer together. Whenever the Prescott men have to deal with things that are kind of difficult to talk about, they use pick-up games of basketball as a way to bond without having to say a single word. In the same way, using the sport of basketball as a setting for a strong, emotional narrative is a great way to draw in a reading audience of young men. There’s some very cool storytelling going on here, guys!
There’s no way that I’m going to give away the ending in this review, but I really appreciated the way the author kind of left things open. There are very few things in life that we can really be certain, so I appreciated the “realistic” feeling that the book left me with. We’re all going to face different kinds of challenges, but what really matters is how we respond to them. Bob might not be able to do a whole lot about his Dad’s fight with cancer, but he is doing everything within his power to be supportive and strong. Sometimes, even when a set of circumstances might be completely beyond your control, it’s still possible to make an impact in a way that you never could have imagined…
To learn more about the books that boys like, please check out my new website at http://booksboyslike.blogspot.com/
One thing that I really enjoyed about “Rocket Man” is how the book relies very heavily on the sport of basketball as a setting, but the actual story itself is about the relationships between the characters. This is not a book about basketball, even though the sport is something that has always served to bring Bob, his father and his brother closer together. Whenever the Prescott men have to deal with things that are kind of difficult to talk about, they use pick-up games of basketball as a way to bond without having to say a single word. In the same way, using the sport of basketball as a setting for a strong, emotional narrative is a great way to draw in a reading audience of young men. There’s some very cool storytelling going on here, guys!
There’s no way that I’m going to give away the ending in this review, but I really appreciated the way the author kind of left things open. There are very few things in life that we can really be certain, so I appreciated the “realistic” feeling that the book left me with. We’re all going to face different kinds of challenges, but what really matters is how we respond to them. Bob might not be able to do a whole lot about his Dad’s fight with cancer, but he is doing everything within his power to be supportive and strong. Sometimes, even when a set of circumstances might be completely beyond your control, it’s still possible to make an impact in a way that you never could have imagined…
To learn more about the books that boys like, please check out my new website at http://booksboyslike.blogspot.com/
March 1, 2015
8th grader Bobby is short for a b-ball player, much as he loves it; his brother is a legend on the high school team, much as their father was on his. Bobby’s not bad, but keeps getting shoved down by bully Roy, tall for his age and using it to his advantage in terrorizing as many people as he can. Worse, though, is the fact that Bobby’s father is fighting cancer in the form of a brain tumor. He’s weak and dizzy both from the cancer and the chemo, but Bobby still hopes he’ll get better. Trying to figure out how he can help, Bobby conceptualizes a “geezer” game pitting the alumni players against the current team in a charity game to benefit cancer research.
I basically liked this one, even if it’s yet another cancer book! It’s short, but the family situation and school situation are well-drawn, and if the characters are pretty one-dimensional, they’re still likeable. There’s not a lot of b-ball action, which might disappoint someone picking it up because of the b-ball on the cover, and there’s no guarantee this time that the action is correct because the author has never played b-ball (she claims to understand it from watching a lot of it—she herself was a professional badminton player). Some of the “teen” dialogue felt awkward, and in the author interview it came out that she didn’t have any kids read the book to proof it, which shows. It’s not bad, just doesn’t feel genuine in a couple of places. I liked that Bobby worked on a farm for his father’s friend—that was unusual for a book like this. I also liked the charity tournament, though I wish the author had gone into more detail about how to choose and vet a charity for such an event; that would have been useful information for kids thinking about doing something similar. Bobby’s character did grow and change throughout the book, which was nice, but the bully Roy’s total turnaround was totally unbelievable.
I basically liked this one, even if it’s yet another cancer book! It’s short, but the family situation and school situation are well-drawn, and if the characters are pretty one-dimensional, they’re still likeable. There’s not a lot of b-ball action, which might disappoint someone picking it up because of the b-ball on the cover, and there’s no guarantee this time that the action is correct because the author has never played b-ball (she claims to understand it from watching a lot of it—she herself was a professional badminton player). Some of the “teen” dialogue felt awkward, and in the author interview it came out that she didn’t have any kids read the book to proof it, which shows. It’s not bad, just doesn’t feel genuine in a couple of places. I liked that Bobby worked on a farm for his father’s friend—that was unusual for a book like this. I also liked the charity tournament, though I wish the author had gone into more detail about how to choose and vet a charity for such an event; that would have been useful information for kids thinking about doing something similar. Bobby’s character did grow and change throughout the book, which was nice, but the bully Roy’s total turnaround was totally unbelievable.
September 28, 2014
From August 2014 School Library Journal:
Gr 5–8—Eighth grader Bob O'Neill is devastated when he gets assigned to the Division 2 basketball team again: he thought for sure this was the year he would finally make Division 1. Between his dad recently being diagnosed with brain cancer, and school bully Roy constantly hassling him, Bob feels like his best defense is to stay invisible. But his friend Maria is sticking by him, and with encouragement from her and from his coach, he slowly starts to realize there are options other than going through life unnoticed. Tired of feeling powerless about the "C Monster" that is attacking his dad's health, Bob comes up with a fundraising idea: the alum from his dad's basketball-playing days take on the current team Oakdale High team. Maria and Bob's older brother help organize the event, and Hoop Heroes 4 Health quickly gathers steam, especially when one of Oakdale's alumni who went on to play for the NBA agrees to come back to town for the game. Bob is getting a little D1 playtime, and when Roy is sent to juvenile detention for a few weeks for a prank on some young kids, Bob moves up to D1 and his confidence continues to soar. Roy returns before the big game, and while he and Bob don't become close friends, they are able to appreciate each other on the court. Bob is a likable, if overly earnest, protagonist. The book's brevity may appeal to reluctant readers, although the dialogue has a distinct after-school special feel. The cover, which features a ball swishing through the net, may be a bit misleading since the sports action in the book is minimal.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Gr 5–8—Eighth grader Bob O'Neill is devastated when he gets assigned to the Division 2 basketball team again: he thought for sure this was the year he would finally make Division 1. Between his dad recently being diagnosed with brain cancer, and school bully Roy constantly hassling him, Bob feels like his best defense is to stay invisible. But his friend Maria is sticking by him, and with encouragement from her and from his coach, he slowly starts to realize there are options other than going through life unnoticed. Tired of feeling powerless about the "C Monster" that is attacking his dad's health, Bob comes up with a fundraising idea: the alum from his dad's basketball-playing days take on the current team Oakdale High team. Maria and Bob's older brother help organize the event, and Hoop Heroes 4 Health quickly gathers steam, especially when one of Oakdale's alumni who went on to play for the NBA agrees to come back to town for the game. Bob is getting a little D1 playtime, and when Roy is sent to juvenile detention for a few weeks for a prank on some young kids, Bob moves up to D1 and his confidence continues to soar. Roy returns before the big game, and while he and Bob don't become close friends, they are able to appreciate each other on the court. Bob is a likable, if overly earnest, protagonist. The book's brevity may appeal to reluctant readers, although the dialogue has a distinct after-school special feel. The cover, which features a ball swishing through the net, may be a bit misleading since the sports action in the book is minimal.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
June 28, 2014
A beautiful read! Bob is a struggling adolescent searching for invisibility, but finds it hard to achieve in the shadow of his legendary basketball hero older brother and father. To make things worse, his father is struggling from cancer and getting sicker every day. If Bob wants to help his dad and find his place on the basketball team, he can't stay in the background any longer. Readers will enjoy this adorable story of hope and help.
July 19, 2014
First reads book.
This was a quick read. At the beginning, you feel sorry for Bob, but the book finishes on a positive note.
This was a quick read. At the beginning, you feel sorry for Bob, but the book finishes on a positive note.
September 3, 2014
I would imagine this book might be tough to read for someone who has cancer or who has a family member with cancer. But, then, it might also help them through it. Good book.
August 29, 2016
This is a story I'm sure both male and female MG readers will really enjoy. Jan Coates' books are always appealing, and this one covers more than one topic to which many readers will relate.
Her main character is an eighth grader named Bob who is awkward around girls, is bullied by a couple of guys at school and on his basketball team, feels he has to live up to his older brother's example as an athlete, and ... his dad, who also was a basketball legend, has cancer. Bob considers himself to be Mr. Invisible.
The reader gets to like Bob right away. He works hard to move up to the Division 1 basketball team, but things just don't seem to go his way until one of his bullies gets into trouble. Bob's brother starts paying more attention to him, impressed by his earnest efforts, and comes up with a more positive nickname for him - Rocket Man. You have to read the book to find out why.
Bob also works hard on an idea for a major fundraiser because of his dad having cancer, and that has exciting results.
This is a story that is full of hope. If your young teen boy is a reluctant reader, give him a copy of this book.
Her main character is an eighth grader named Bob who is awkward around girls, is bullied by a couple of guys at school and on his basketball team, feels he has to live up to his older brother's example as an athlete, and ... his dad, who also was a basketball legend, has cancer. Bob considers himself to be Mr. Invisible.
The reader gets to like Bob right away. He works hard to move up to the Division 1 basketball team, but things just don't seem to go his way until one of his bullies gets into trouble. Bob's brother starts paying more attention to him, impressed by his earnest efforts, and comes up with a more positive nickname for him - Rocket Man. You have to read the book to find out why.
Bob also works hard on an idea for a major fundraiser because of his dad having cancer, and that has exciting results.
This is a story that is full of hope. If your young teen boy is a reluctant reader, give him a copy of this book.
December 30, 2015
A bittersweet and lovely tale about a middle school boy who wants to play basketball and who is also dealing with bullying and his dad’s cancer. Bobby is the shortest one on the team, so he gets to sit on the bench a lot. But that doesn’t stop him from practicing every chance he gets. His older brother is a tall sports star, and he wonders if he’ll ever be like him.
One of the boys on the team, Roy, is a bully who picks on Bobby (as well as lots of other kids in the school). Bobby doesn’t ignore Roy, but he doesn’t report him either. Bobby has other things to worry about - mainly, his dad’s fight with cancer. He knows his dad’s cancer is incurable, but he’s determined to help by raising money with a basketball game.
A great cover (a basketball going through a hoop) that will attract the eye, this book hits all the right notes for a reluctant reader. It’s short (about 115 pages), with short chapters, easy-to-read dialogue and an easy-to-follow plot. Bobby is a believable teen who’s going through a lot and readers will respond to him.
One of the boys on the team, Roy, is a bully who picks on Bobby (as well as lots of other kids in the school). Bobby doesn’t ignore Roy, but he doesn’t report him either. Bobby has other things to worry about - mainly, his dad’s fight with cancer. He knows his dad’s cancer is incurable, but he’s determined to help by raising money with a basketball game.
A great cover (a basketball going through a hoop) that will attract the eye, this book hits all the right notes for a reluctant reader. It’s short (about 115 pages), with short chapters, easy-to-read dialogue and an easy-to-follow plot. Bobby is a believable teen who’s going through a lot and readers will respond to him.
July 17, 2014
A fairly typical YA book. A kid who seems a bit of a loser is in a bad situation, and though luck and pluck finds his way to a better one.
I never liked books where the big bully is revealed as some kind of victim, but that's just me.
I never liked books where the big bully is revealed as some kind of victim, but that's just me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews