He's a Mechanical Boy: Into the Real Live Library

 

Sprockets, A Little Robot (1963) by Alexander Key. The automated Consolidated Mechanical Men Corporation factory, running low on metal, cobbles together a robot out of leftovers and replacements. Not the typical hulking behemoth, he is no bigger than a little boy, but has been given a genuine Asimov Positronic Brain, a rare possession indeed. When the foreman declares the little mistake should be scrapped for parts, the robot uses that big brain and makes a hasty escape.

Lost in the big outside world, atomic battery running low, and starting to corrode with the rain, he is found and rescued by real boy Jim and his family. They name the robot ‘Sprockets’ after the only word his rusty voice box can spit out when they find him.  Jim’s father, Dr. Bailey, is in search of extraterrestrial life, but is rather bad at fractions for his calculations. Jim’s mother, Mrs. Bailey, just sees Sprockets as another boy. They agree to keep the robot on spec for a month, then purchase him if he proves useful. They notify the company, and Sprockets becomes a provisional member of the family.

Things kick into high gear when Dr. Bailey detects an extraterrestrial spaceship downed in the mountains of Mexico. It becomes a race between him and the villainous Dr. Katz (an agent for a certain Evil Empire which shall remain nameless) as to who shall find it. Thanks in large part to Sprockets’ efforts the good guys get there first, contact the alien life, and make a brief but adventurous visit to the moon. Having more than proved himself worthy, Sprockets becomes a permanent member of the Bailey family, and is even rewarded with a robotic little brother Rivets, who only has a semi-positwonic Bwain.

I remember reading this book in McQueeney Elementary, along with its sequel, Rivets and Sprockets. I do not think I ever saw the third book of the series, Bolts, A Robot Dog. It was an interesting introduction to several science fiction concepts as conceived at the time, including Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, UFOs, atomic batteries, and anti-matter. (I remember the other sci-fi series for kids was the Matthew Looney books, told from the point of view of a little Moon boy. Then along came the Star Trek revival in 4^th Grade.) I have had a copy of Rivets and Sprockets for a while now, purchased at the fabled Great San Antonio Public Library Sale, so I am very happy to finally have a copy of Sprockets at last to help fill in some shadowy memories. I guess it’s on to Bolts now, just to complete the cycle.

Alexander Key is probably best known as the author of Escape to Witch Mountain, which has been adapted into a movie three times. Key began his career as an illustrator, and indeed illustrated all three Sprockets books himself. He wrote quite a few YA novels in his day, many of them dealing with speculations on the scientific aspect of ‘mind powers’ and toleration for outsiders and aliens. Sprockets was no doubt an influence on my own character Athenor in ‘Elf and Bear’, though my synthetic boy is a little moodier. I now see that Sprockets and I were born in the same year.