Eventually, however, she is purchased by a 14-year-old girl named Josie and her mom, whom Klara refers to as the Mother. Klara is one of the last robots of her kind to be sold at the store. Watching this happen convinces Klara that the Sun has the ability to heal and nourish humans. He seems to be dead, but he’s resurrected the next morning when the Sun comes out. One day, Klara witnesses a man on the street-whom she calls Beggar Man-stop moving. She is dismayed whenever she sees the Cootings Machine, a construction vehicle that spews pollution that blocks the Sun. In particular, Klara likes looking out the window onto the street, where she can see the people outside in the Sun. Though Klara is not the most advanced model of robot in the store, Manager notices that Klara is very observant. The store is located in a city somewhere in the United States in the near future. She begins her life in a store run by a human woman that she calls Manager. A Glossary and Author’s Note provide additional relevant information.Klara, the narrator of the novel, is an Artificial Friend (AF), which means that she’s a special type of solar-powered robot that is sold to help assist with raising children. Though it is difficult to believe that a twelve-year-old could fool anyone and be allowed to enlist, Watkins’s story is based on historical facts. Colton’s story is fast-paced and interesting, yet the characters lack depth and development. Written for readers ages 10 to 14, Watkins provides an exciting and historically accurate look at a bit of WWII history which is not often written about-the Battle for the Atlantic. When rescue does come, Colton’s true identity is discovered and after a stay in a hospital, he is sent home. The survivors are set adrift in an overloaded lifeboat with few rations and no radio. While Colton’s patrol craft has faced battles and U-boats before, they are caught unawares when a U-boat explodes beneath them, killing Colton’s closest shipmate and wounding Colton’s leg. His second assignment takes him to the North Atlantic to escort a convoy taking supplies to Europe. His first assignment is to patrol the Eastern coastal waters, hunting for U-boat “wolf packs” who attack merchant vessels. He gets his wish and is assigned to a patrol craft. All Colton wants is to be a “subchaser,” to avenge his brother.

Colton assumes his brother’s identity and enlists in the US Navy. Fishing off the North Carolina coast is routine for twelve-year-old Colton, until a surfacing U-boat destroys their craft and severely injures his older brother, Danny.

Klara and the sun sparknotes