He is an 11-year-old boy from the city who has faced emotional abuse and neglect from his parents. Shifting from home to home has left him timid and without a strong sense of identity, making the rural Larson farm an entirely foreign environment. He is highly observant, noting the strange habits of the Larson family from his very first morning at the breakfast table. Though initially clumsy and ignorant of country life, he quickly adapts to the heavy labor, hoping to finally find a stable family where he belongs.

Harris is a highly imaginative nine-year-old boy who has grown up as the only young boy on the Larson farm. He is brash, curses frequently, and believes strongly in the reality of movies, comic books, and his own fabricated games. His boundless energy constantly pulls him and his cousin into dangerous situations, from jumping on pigs to swinging off granary roofs. He thinks in absolute, real-world terms, making his playtime intense and often painful.

Louie is a silent, unkempt farmhand who lives and works on the Larson property. He possesses blue gun-barrel eyes and a toothless mouth, representing the gritty reality of rural labor. He is known for devouring entire stacks of pancakes whole before anyone else can eat. Despite his gruff exterior, he harbors a hidden artistic talent, paying the boys a penny for every two mice so he can use the fur to craft elaborate miniature figures in the granary.

Knute is the patient father of the Larson family who manages the farm's heavy agricultural operations. He rarely speaks and appears to have farming built right into his bones, demonstrating immense skill with the massive draft horses. He drinks only coffee for breakfast and steadily works through the daylight hours. He maintains a calm demeanor that occasionally breaks to reveal a protective, playful attitude when he wrestles the boys in the river.

Clair is the hardworking mother of the Larson household who commands the respect of her family. She is constantly in motion, either cooking, cleaning, or milking the cows, and she rarely sits down to eat with the men. She possesses a forgiving sense of humor regarding the boys' mischief and provides a stabilizing maternal warmth to the entire property, often expressing her care through food.

Glennis is the 14-year-old daughter of the Larsons. She is a strapping, coltish teenager who works tirelessly alongside her mother in the kitchen and handles the manual milk separator. She maintains order in the household and frequently takes it upon herself to physically discipline her younger brother for his bad habits, though she harbors a deep protective love for him.

Elaine is a blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl who lives in the local area. She shows a genuine interest in the protagonist during a town gathering at the Lumberjack Lownje. She represents his first experience with young romance before Harris intentionally ruins the interaction by telling her the protagonist is not right in the head.

Buzzer is a fiercely aggressive lynx kept by the Larson family as a pet. Known for killing a farm dog in the past, he is highly skilled at hunting mice in the fields behind the mower. He only allows Louie to touch him, though he forms a silent understanding with the protagonist over shared catches.

Ernie is an extremely aggressive rooster living on the Larson farm. He is highly territorial and frequently ambushes people as they move around the yard. His sudden attacks force the children to stay constantly alert and often result in wild wrestling matches in the dirt.

Vivian is a temperamental dairy cow in the Larson herd. She requires careful handling and demonstrates the unpredictable nature of the farm's livestock. She swiftly kicks the naive protagonist in the head during his first morning fetching the herd in the dark.

Bill is a massive, dinosaur-like draft horse used for heavy labor on the farm. While generally tolerant of the daily routine, he has limits when it comes to the boys' chaotic games. He promptly bucks Harris off when the boy attempts to jump onto his back from a roof to recreate a movie stunt.

Bob is another massive workhorse on the Larson farm who works alongside Bill. He is somewhat more trusting but is easily spooked by loud noises. He becomes a risky mount for the boys' cowboy fantasies when Harris fires a live rifle round from his back.