AI Story Generator for Kindle

Turn an old, jailbroken Kindle into a minimalist bedtime-story machine: pick a story type, age, length, theme, hero and mood with a few taps, and Claude writes a brand-new story that you read right on the E-Ink display.

All screens (rendered)

• Story configurator instead of typing. You never type on E-Ink. The steps and more than 30 themes live in one JSON file, and you can add your kids' names as buttons.
• Keeps the Kindle's own OS. The app runs as a scriptlet after a standard jailbreak and can be removed again.
• Thin client. A small backend renders every screen and page as a finished image. The Kindle only shows pictures, reads taps and makes HTTP requests. There are no font, Unicode or TLS headaches on a ten-year-old userspace.
• No API key on the device. The backend calls the Claude Code CLI with your Claude subscription, or the Anthropic/OpenAI API if you prefer.
• Works offline for reading. Stories are saved on the Kindle, and the last one can be read without Wi-Fi.
• Optional remote access over HTTPS, for example with Tailscale Funnel, so it also works on your phone's hotspot.

The UI and the stories are in German. Translating means editing backend/app/wizard.json, the system prompt in backend/app/llm.py and the screen texts in backend/app/screens.py. Code comments are in German as well.

How it works

Kindle (jailbroken)                         Server in your home network (e.g. Raspberry Pi)
┌──────────────────────────────┐            ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ scriptlet "AI Story"         │  HTTP(S)   │ FastAPI backend (Docker)                    │
│  eips  – shows PNG screens   │ ─────────▶ │  renders screens/pages as 1072×1448 PNG     │
│  ktap  – reads touch (26 KB) │  + device  │  hit-tests taps, runs the configurator      │
│  curl  – talks to backend    │    token   │  claude -p  (no tools, no MCP, no session)  │
│  pages cached on /mnt/us     │ ◀───────── │  stories stored as JSON                     │
└──────────────────────────────┘            └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Details are in docs/ARCHITECTURE.md.

What you need

Quick start

The full step-by-step guide, with what you should see after each step, is in docs/SETUP.md.

# 1. Server: backend + Claude CLI in Docker
git clone https://github.com/donmb1/ai-story-generator.git && cd ai-story-generator/deploy/pi
cp env.example .env            # set DEVICE_TOKEN (openssl rand -hex 16) and LAN_IP
docker compose run --rm --no-deps story claude setup-token   # log in, paste the token into .env
docker compose up -d --build
curl http://<LAN_IP>:8787/health

# 2. Kindle: jailbreak (https://kindlemodding.org), connect via USB, then on your computer
#    (in your own clone of the repo):
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env   # same DEVICE_TOKEN, KINDLE_BACKEND_URLS="http://<LAN_IP>:8787"
./kindle/install.sh

# 3. On the Kindle: open "AI Story" from the library.

Repository layout

backend/                 FastAPI backend (Python 3.11+)
  app/wizard.json        configurator: steps, themes, names – customise here
  app/screens.py         screen states, hit-testing, tap → command
  app/render.py          PNG rendering (16 grey levels) and pagination
  app/llm.py             providers: claude_cli (default), anthropic, openai, fake
  app/main.py            HTTP API (JSON API + Kindle protocol)
  fonts/                 Literata + Atkinson Hyperlegible (SIL OFL)
  tests/                 pytest, including a full configurator run
  Dockerfile, run.sh
deploy/pi/               docker-compose.yml, env.example, deploy.sh
kindle/
  device/app/            → /mnt/us/aistory/app   (aistory.sh, ktap, config.sh)
  device/hello/          → /mnt/us/aistory/hello (hello world, system info, network test)
  scriptlets/            → /mnt/us/documents     (launchers that show up as "books")
  src/ktap.c             touch reader (evdev), build-ktap.sh builds it for ARMv7
  sim/                   runs the Kindle client in BusyBox against a local backend
  install.sh             copies everything to the Kindle via USB
docs/                    SETUP.md, ARCHITECTURE.md

Status and caveats

• This is a hobby project, tested on one device. Jailbreaking is at your own risk. Follow kindlemodding.org for your model and firmware.
• The claude_cli provider uses your personal Claude subscription through the official Claude Code CLI. Make sure your usage fits Anthropic's terms for your plan. The anthropic provider with an API key is the alternative.
• If you expose the backend to the internet, anyone who has the device token can spend your quota. Keep the token secret and the rate limits on (see Security).

License

MIT. Bundled fonts are under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.