Raymie is a sensitive, anxious 10-year-old girl living in Central Florida. Determined to win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire pageant, she hopes seeing her picture in the newspaper will compel her father to realize his mistake and return home. She often senses her emotions physically within her "soul" and searches for guidance from the adults around her.

Louisiana is an eccentric, optimistic young orphan who wears pink dresses and shiny bunny barrettes. She lives in poverty with her grandmother and enters the pageant hoping the prize money will improve their dire living situation. Relying on a vivid imagination to cope with past tragedies, she possesses deep loyalty to her friends.

Beverly is a scrappy, streetwise girl who uses sarcasm and a tough exterior to shield herself from emotional pain. Though already an expert baton twirler, she attends lessons because her mother forces her to enter pageants. Uninterested in winning, she aims to sabotage the contest to spite her mother.

Ida is a middle-aged, former baton-twirling champion who wears white knee-high boots and sparkly tops. She exhibits no patience for children and frequently storms out of her own lessons in frustration. Living alone among her championship trophies, she struggles to find purpose after her glory days have passed.

Mrs. Borkowski is Raymie's elderly, eccentric neighbor who smells of mothballs and laughs like a horse. She ponders existential questions about the meaning of life and tells fantastically imaginative stories. She serves as a crucial mentor to Raymie, introducing her to the concept of the human soul.

Mrs. Sylvester is the secretary at Clarke Family Insurance. She has a high-pitched voice like a cartoon bird and keeps a large jar of candy corn on her desk. She feeds the swans at Swip Pond every day and serves as a comforting, consistently optimistic presence for Raymie in the wake of her father's departure.

Mr. Staphopoulos is Raymie's former lifesaving coach who recently moved to North Carolina. He wore an ever-present silver whistle and taught his students to clear their minds by flexing their toes. His practical lessons and supportive nature left a lasting impression on Raymie.

Jim Clarke is Raymie's father and the owner of Clarke Family Insurance. He abandons his family abruptly, prompting Raymie's desperate plan to win a pageant to bring him back.

Mrs. Clarke is Raymie's mother. Devastated by her husband's sudden departure, she spends most of her time sitting quietly in the sunroom, consumed by sadness and unable to provide emotional support for her daughter.

Rhonda is Beverly's mother, a former beauty queen and baton twirler who works at the Belknap Tower gift shop. She wears bright eyeshadow and large fake eyelashes. She has an angry, impatient demeanor and physically mistreats Beverly, forcing her to enter pageants against her will.

Granny is Louisiana's tiny, determined grandmother who wears bunny barrettes in her gray hair. She drives wildly and lives in a dilapidated, unfurnished house, struggling to provide enough food for them. Despite their poverty, she is fiercely devoted to protecting Louisiana and maintains a cheerful outlook.

Ruthie is a compassionate, motherly nurse at the local hospital who wears a nametag on her blue sweater. She provides practical care, a warm sweater, and a listening ear when the girls face a crisis.

Isabelle is a feisty, wheelchair-bound resident at Golden Glen with failing eyesight. She has a sharp tongue, complains about the piano music played by the janitor, and bluntly tells Raymie that she has no interest in being read to or interacting with do-gooders.

Alice is a distressed resident at the Golden Glen Nursing Home. She frequently cries out in fear and pain, causing Raymie significant anxiety before Beverly steps in to comfort her.

Martha is the receptionist at the Golden Glen Nursing Home who guides visitors to the residents' rooms.

The janitor at the Golden Glen Nursing Home plays sad piano music and keeps a yellow bird in a cage in his office.

Archie is Louisiana's beloved missing cat. He was taken to an animal shelter, prompting Louisiana's desperate mission to rescue him.

Bunny is a smelly, long-eared dog with one good eye. Found abandoned at a shelter, he wags his tail for affection and quickly bonds with the girls.

Lee Ann is a dental hygienist who left town with Jim Clarke, setting the events of the story in motion.