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2022 FWCD Summer Reading: 2022 Universal Book

2022 Universal Book Information

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro was chosen by the Reading Committee to be the 2022 Universal Book for FWCD's Upper School. 

Students will be expected to do the following: 

  1. Obtain their copy of Klara and the Sun (rising 10th-12th graders will receive their copy from their advisors, rising 9th graders from Mrs. Blan in their English classes, and new students from Mrs. Wakeland).
  2. Read Klara and the Sun during the summer. 
  3. Participate in the Universal Book Program and breakout sessions - August 30.

Klara and the Sun

Past Universal Books

How to Get Started (Prereading)

How to get started (Pre-reading):

Examine the physical book. What is on the front and back covers? Designer Pete Adlington gives a behind-the-scenes look into into the process of designing the cover for Klara and the Sun.

What is AI? (Watch Crash Course AI #1 for a more in-depth explanation.)

AI is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

How does AI learn? AI doesn't know anything when it's created. It's like a baby. Babies use their senses to perceive the world and their bodies to interact with it to learn. AI doesn't have senses or a brain that can judge like a human baby. It is programs and machines. It needs lots of data labeled with the information it is trying to learn. This is how you can think of Klara. She's a machine that is (like a baby) taking in information (data) and learning about the world she sees from her window.

How can you visualize Klara? Watch this video of Jimmy Fallon and Sophia the robot. (Start it at 2 minutes 15 seconds.)
(And then, just for fun, follow up with this video of Jimmy Fallon and Sophia. Start it at 4 min 25 seconds)

The narrator in Klara is a robot. What effect do you think this has on the reader? Is a robot a reliable or unreliable narrator?

When do you treat artificial intelligence in your world as a human?

What do you see as the benefits of forming human-like relationships with artificial intelligence? What is concerning about it?

Possible Discussion Topics

Possible Topics for Discussion:

Universal Book Mission Statement

The mission of the Universal Book Program is to further develop and unite our FWCD learning community through the shared joy of reading in order to stimulate thought and dialogue, increase awareness, and provide the opportunity to explore a story that differs from our own.

Introduction to Klara and the Sun

What AI is More Human Than You Think

Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro

To mark the publication of Klara and the Sun, the first novel from Kazuo Ishiguro since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, this is an interview about the book's beginnings, themes and Ishiguro's aims as a writer.

Interested in Learning More?

If you’re interested in the future of AI, take a look at AI for Social Good. It is

  • A High School intensive in artificial intelligence developed and taught by Stanford and MIT alumni and graduate students.
  • Offered live online for middle and high school students globally.