Lisa is a 10-year-old girl living in a suburban world where a sudden virus has wiped out everyone over the age of twelve. Highly intelligent and pragmatic, she quickly realizes that survival requires critical thinking, forward planning, and self-sufficiency. She takes the initiative to secure nutritious food, teach herself how to drive, and organize the remaining children on Grand Avenue into a functioning, fortified society.

Todd is Lisa's younger brother, forced to adapt rapidly in the wake of the devastating plague. Despite the harsh new reality and the loss of their parents, he retains a sense of childlike wonder. He relies heavily on his sister's guidance, rules, and bedtime stories to process the terrifying world around him.

Tom is the leader of the Chidester Gang, a group of children from a neighboring street who resort to theft to survive the apocalypse. Driven by an inability to sustainably fend for himself, he uses intimidation, violence, and numerical superiority to take what others have earned. He believes brute force is the only viable path forward.

Craig is the oldest of the neighborhood children and a highly capable gardener. Unlike Lisa, who wants to rebuild a complex society, Craig favors a quiet, self-sustaining agrarian life on an abandoned farm. He is appointed as the commander of the neighborhood militia, a leadership role he accepts out of necessity but vehemently dislikes.

Jill is a caring neighborhood girl who takes on the heavy responsibility of looking after several very young, orphaned children. She struggles to find enough food and medicine for her dependents, leading her to rely on the charity of others. She strongly believes in collectivism and argues that those with excess supplies have a moral duty to share.

Charlie is a neighborhood boy struggling to provide for his sick sister, Julie, and their siblings. Driven by desperation when he cannot find food on his own, he initially joins the Chidester Gang to survive. After Lisa intervenes, he redirects his efforts toward protecting the community instead of stealing from it.

Julie is a neighborhood girl whose family is failing to adapt after the plague. Weakened from lack of proper food, she benefits directly from Lisa's intervention and supports the idea of forming a neighborhood militia to secure their safety.

Erika is Craig's sister. She shares her brother's desire to abandon the conflict-ridden neighborhood of Grand Avenue in favor of living a quiet, self-sufficient life on an isolated farm.

Steve is a neighborhood boy who resents the children whose parents left them better stocked with supplies. He represents a populist perspective among the children, arguing that those with more should share with those who have less, rather than forcing everyone to earn their keep.