The Fourth "R"

by George O. (George Oliver) Smith

"The Fourth 'R'" by George O. Smith is a science fiction novel published in 1959. Five-year-old Jimmy Holden possesses a college-level education thanks to his parents' invention, an "Electromechanical Educator." When his parents are murdered by his godfather and guardian, Jimmy must protect the plans imprinted in his mind, escape his would-be killer, and survive alone in a world designed for adults. The story examines what happens when extraordinary intelligence meets childhood vulnerability in mid-century American society.