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Rivets and Sprockets
Dr. Bailey, his son Jim, Rivets and Sprockets have an adventure involving space marbles and Martians.
Hardcover
First published February 17, 1964
4 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Key
73 books99 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in 1975 and again in 1995. His novel The Incredible Tide became a popular anime series, Future Boy Conan.
He is known for his portrayals of alien but human-like people who have psychic powers and a close communion with nature, and who can speak with animals. In The Strange White Doves, he professed his belief that animals are conscious and aware, and have subtle ways of communicating, perhaps via telepathy.
The protagonists of Key's books are often ostracized, feared, or persecuted due to their abilities or alien origin, and Key uses this as a clear metaphor for racism and other prejudice. In several of the books (most notably The Case of the Vanishing Boy,) Key portrays some sort of communal withdrawing from society with a group of like-minded individuals. - Wikipedia -
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in 1975 and again in 1995. His novel The Incredible Tide became a popular anime series, Future Boy Conan.
He is known for his portrayals of alien but human-like people who have psychic powers and a close communion with nature, and who can speak with animals. In The Strange White Doves, he professed his belief that animals are conscious and aware, and have subtle ways of communicating, perhaps via telepathy.
The protagonists of Key's books are often ostracized, feared, or persecuted due to their abilities or alien origin, and Key uses this as a clear metaphor for racism and other prejudice. In several of the books (most notably The Case of the Vanishing Boy,) Key portrays some sort of communal withdrawing from society with a group of like-minded individuals. - Wikipedia -
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 28, 2018
Seriously, did my love of science fiction begin with the simple joy of reading Rivets and Sprockets some 30 years ago? Before I read Bradbury, Asimov or about Androids with Electric sheep and sleep, I was enthralled by these two. I must have checked this book out twenty times from the middle school library. My fifth grade buddy Tony and I started writing our own android adventures, inspired by this book.
July 7, 2015
I feel like I missed out in being one of the few who didn't read this in the 80's. However I can see why people would have loved it. The characters are endearing and adventurous. My childhood self would have loved this. Deffinitely a great one for young "nerdy" readers. One I will pass on to students.
Thanks to the publishers for the ARC copy.
Thanks to the publishers for the ARC copy.
March 23, 2009
My favorite book in elementary school. There were two other books in this series and they were all wonderful.
December 24, 2025
A science fiction story for children about robots and scientists traveling to Mars. A bit unrealistic, which is to be expected to some degree, but really Alexander Key has better stories. My personal favorite is The Golden Enemy. Rivets and Sprockets was published before the 1969 moon landing. The illustrations are great though.
Favorite Passages:
DEDICATION
To all the boys and girls I know, of all ages and especially the right age, beginning with Zan, and including Jerry, Scotty, Patsy, Nick, Christina, Gloria, Paul, Marty, Herman, lots of Johns and Bills and Franks, a good Joe, a nice Sarah, and all the way down and up the alphabet to Debbie, Cindy, Betsy, and little Alice.
RIVETS AND SPROCKETS
"What's 'imperious import' mean, Daddy?" Jim asked.
"It means anything from the top drawer to battle stations. Don't interrupt me. Miranda, I must revise my concept of the fourth planet. Miranda, there is Something on Mars! I absolutely must get in touch with that Something and find out what it is."
"My goodness," said Mrs. Bailey, "from the sound of it I hope you never meet it in the dark. And, dear, I don't think you better fiddle too much with Jim's radio. You might burn out his do-jigger, and then you'll never - "
She spoke too late. There was a loud crackling, a flash of sparks, and flame suddenly shot from the tubes.
_______
"How about it, Sprockets? Do you remember?"
"Sir," said Sprockets, lifting his head proudly, "you forget that I have a genuine Asimov Positronic Brain and twenty trillion printed circuits. I remember all."
"Of course. Naturally. Then let us get busy. Immediately. It is absolutely emphatically imperative that we talk to that Something on Mars. We must find out the who, the what, and the why of it before some infamous and unspeakable rascal beats us to it."
"Sir," said Sprockets, "are you referring to Prof. Vladimir Katz, who recently escaped from jail?"
"I am," snapped the doctor. "And don't mention that unmentionable name in my presence again."
"But, sir, I regret to inform you that that unmentionable one is now in Mongolia, doing something secret for the Mongolian Planetary Monopoly."
"What?" The doctor seemed staggered. "How did you learn that?"
"From my built-in microscopic positronic radio, sir. I can hear any message in the world when I properly tune my circuits."
"Great gobbling guns!" cried Dr. Bailey. "If Vladimir Katz is working for the Mongolians, there's no time to lose! He'll find out all about Mars and monopolize it just as sure as purple saucers fly. Everybody to work! Fast!"
_______
Rivets had a screw in his head that was always coming loose at the wrong time. It made him sound positively addled, if not actually aberrated - and an aberrated robot was something that no proper robot cared to think about. Sprockets was terribly afraid the doctor might find out about it and send Rivets back to the factory to be exchanged. Never that!
_______
"Is your pay-attention button on full?"
"All the way."
"Careful button?"
"All the way."
"Your hurry-up button?"
"All the way."
"Your balance button?"
"All the way."
"Then you'd better keep them all the way all the time."
"But, Sprockets, I may burn out my battery!"
"Oh, no. You have an atomic battery just like mine, and it will recharge itself every night if you lie down for six hours, fifty-seven minutes, and twelve seconds."
"Aw, if I have to recharge, how can I play marbles at night?"
"A robot shouldn't play marbles when important work is going on."
"But I like to play with marbles!" said Rivets. "It makes me feel almost like a real boy. Didn't you ever play with marbles?"
"Certainly not! And you shouldn't - not in the laboratory."
"I will if I want to," Rivets pouted. "The doctor hasn't ordered me not to, and you can't order me without orders to do so. You're only a robot, too."
"Stop that whispering and get busy!" shouted the doctor. "We've got to build the do-jigger and beat the Mongolians!"
________
"Now I'm convinced you are mad, addled, aberrated, and entirely deranged!"
Favorite Passages:
DEDICATION
To all the boys and girls I know, of all ages and especially the right age, beginning with Zan, and including Jerry, Scotty, Patsy, Nick, Christina, Gloria, Paul, Marty, Herman, lots of Johns and Bills and Franks, a good Joe, a nice Sarah, and all the way down and up the alphabet to Debbie, Cindy, Betsy, and little Alice.
RIVETS AND SPROCKETS
"What's 'imperious import' mean, Daddy?" Jim asked.
"It means anything from the top drawer to battle stations. Don't interrupt me. Miranda, I must revise my concept of the fourth planet. Miranda, there is Something on Mars! I absolutely must get in touch with that Something and find out what it is."
"My goodness," said Mrs. Bailey, "from the sound of it I hope you never meet it in the dark. And, dear, I don't think you better fiddle too much with Jim's radio. You might burn out his do-jigger, and then you'll never - "
She spoke too late. There was a loud crackling, a flash of sparks, and flame suddenly shot from the tubes.
_______
"How about it, Sprockets? Do you remember?"
"Sir," said Sprockets, lifting his head proudly, "you forget that I have a genuine Asimov Positronic Brain and twenty trillion printed circuits. I remember all."
"Of course. Naturally. Then let us get busy. Immediately. It is absolutely emphatically imperative that we talk to that Something on Mars. We must find out the who, the what, and the why of it before some infamous and unspeakable rascal beats us to it."
"Sir," said Sprockets, "are you referring to Prof. Vladimir Katz, who recently escaped from jail?"
"I am," snapped the doctor. "And don't mention that unmentionable name in my presence again."
"But, sir, I regret to inform you that that unmentionable one is now in Mongolia, doing something secret for the Mongolian Planetary Monopoly."
"What?" The doctor seemed staggered. "How did you learn that?"
"From my built-in microscopic positronic radio, sir. I can hear any message in the world when I properly tune my circuits."
"Great gobbling guns!" cried Dr. Bailey. "If Vladimir Katz is working for the Mongolians, there's no time to lose! He'll find out all about Mars and monopolize it just as sure as purple saucers fly. Everybody to work! Fast!"
_______
Rivets had a screw in his head that was always coming loose at the wrong time. It made him sound positively addled, if not actually aberrated - and an aberrated robot was something that no proper robot cared to think about. Sprockets was terribly afraid the doctor might find out about it and send Rivets back to the factory to be exchanged. Never that!
_______
"Is your pay-attention button on full?"
"All the way."
"Careful button?"
"All the way."
"Your hurry-up button?"
"All the way."
"Your balance button?"
"All the way."
"Then you'd better keep them all the way all the time."
"But, Sprockets, I may burn out my battery!"
"Oh, no. You have an atomic battery just like mine, and it will recharge itself every night if you lie down for six hours, fifty-seven minutes, and twelve seconds."
"Aw, if I have to recharge, how can I play marbles at night?"
"A robot shouldn't play marbles when important work is going on."
"But I like to play with marbles!" said Rivets. "It makes me feel almost like a real boy. Didn't you ever play with marbles?"
"Certainly not! And you shouldn't - not in the laboratory."
"I will if I want to," Rivets pouted. "The doctor hasn't ordered me not to, and you can't order me without orders to do so. You're only a robot, too."
"Stop that whispering and get busy!" shouted the doctor. "We've got to build the do-jigger and beat the Mongolians!"
________
"Now I'm convinced you are mad, addled, aberrated, and entirely deranged!"
August 19, 2015
How I missed this adorable gem back when I was a kid I will never know, but if you haven't had the pleasure, definitely pick up this book. Two smart little robots and their family stumble upon a message from Mars and it doesn't sound good. To beat the evil professor, Sprockets calls upon the help of some very purple alien friends. The adventure continues on Earth, space, and Mars.
What a cute story! For those familiar with Witch Mountain, you know the caliber at which Key writes. Young boys and girls will find the robot brothers to be quirky and just a whole lot of fun.
What a cute story! For those familiar with Witch Mountain, you know the caliber at which Key writes. Young boys and girls will find the robot brothers to be quirky and just a whole lot of fun.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews