Thirteen-year-old Annabel is a clever, somewhat rebellious teenager who deeply resents her mother's strict rules regarding hygiene, nutrition, and safety. She envies adult freedoms, believing that grown-ups live carefree lives entirely free of rules or restrictions. Her insecurities manifest in a preoccupation with her appearance, jealousy over her brother's blue eyes, and a tendency to leave her bedroom in complete disarray.

Ellen is a 35-year-old full-time homemaker who works hard to manage her family's daily needs. She conscientiously handles cooking, cleaning, errands, and finances while taking criticism from her husband for household expenses. She enforces rules about safety, nutrition, and hygiene out of love, working to provide stability for her children.

Mrs. Schmauss is an older woman employed to clean the Andrews family apartment. She is highly judgmental, freely criticizing liberal parenting choices and blaming those choices for bad behavior in children. Her hypocritical nature shows through her refusal to complete certain assigned tasks and her use of inappropriate, bigoted language.

Bill is a 38-year-old account executive working in advertising. He maintains a generally easygoing demeanor but expects the household to run smoothly around his schedule and preferences. He frequently fusses over family finances, specifically the cost of replacing items his daughter loses and the expense of summer camp.

Ben is a six-year-old boy with curly hair and blue eyes. He is an obedient, sweet-natured child who dutifully walks the dog and strictly obeys safety rules about crossing streets. Despite facing constant meanness and cruel nicknames from his older sibling, he remains intensely loyal and actively defends her against outside criticism.

Boris is a 14-year-old neighbor who frequently interacts with the Andrews family. He suffers from severe chronic congestion that alters his speech, causing everyone to mispronounce his actual name. He holds a long-standing grudge regarding a childhood playground injury and openly disapproves of messy, disorganized behavior.

Miss McGuirk is an English teacher at the local school. She recognizes high intelligence in her students and feels deeply frustrated when they fail to apply themselves. She genuinely cares about academic success and takes it personally when a gifted student begins to fail.

Dr. Artunian is the school psychologist. She attempts to look beyond simple disciplinary measures, probing for underlying psychological or family issues that might cause a sudden change in a student's behavior.

Mr. Dirk is the school principal. He generally approves of lively students with spirit but requires them to balance that energy with mature self-discipline. He considers severe disciplinary actions when a student's conduct becomes disruptive.

Officer Plonchick is a local police officer who encounters the Andrews family during stressful public incidents. He is highly skeptical of unusual explanations and quick to judge parenting choices during emergencies.

The Grandmother is Ellen's mother, residing in Larchmont. She expects a strict routine of communication from her family and serves as an authority figure that her adult daughter must still answer to.