The Girl Who Owned a City, written by O.T. Nelson and first published in 1975, is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel. Nelson wrote the book in order to show children “that they are important and that they have the ability to think and make a difference” (“About the Author”). It is set in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago where Nelson then lived, and the two main characters, Lisa and Todd, are named after Nelson’s own children. In 2012, Dan Jolley, Joëlle Jones, and Jenn Manley Lee adapted the work into a graphic novel.

This guide references the republished 1995 version, which includes some updates from the original for the purposes of modernization.

Plot Summary

The novel begins shortly after a devastating virus wiped out everyone over the age of 12. Lisa, the 10-year-old protagonist, is living with her brother, Todd, on Grand Avenue and looting abandoned houses in order to survive. Lisa is particularly good at finding supplies; she thinks of places to look that no one else has thought of, like the farms on Swift Road and the Jewel Grocery warehouse, and she understands that they need more than junk food in order to survive. She even teaches herself to drive in order to better collect supplies.

One day while Lisa is at a nearby farm, the Chidester Gang, led by Tom Logan, attacks and robs her house, leaving Todd injured. Lisa realizes that the neighborhood will need to work together in order to survive, so she promises to share supplies if they agree to form a militia. She also strikes up a friendship with the older Craig Berman, who begins helping her on supply runs. The first attack following the formation of the militia and the fortification of the neighborhood is unsuccessful thanks to the traps they set; however, while Lisa and Todd are out at the warehouse, the gang returns and burns their house to the ground.

Lisa and Todd move in with their friend Jill, but Lisa soon realizes the neighborhood will never be truly safe. She gets the idea to renovate and fortify the nearby Glenbard High School, which is abandoned and up on a hill. The children secretly renovate the school, and once everything is ready, they hold a public celebration and begin accepting applicants to join them. By the following April, a little more than a year later, their numbers have swelled to more than 500 children, and they’ve withstood eight separate attacks on the school. However, when the guard dogs go quiet one night, Lisa decides to check the situation out herself, and Tom’s gang ambushes and shoots her. Tom bluffs that he has Lisa hostage and easily takes control of the school.

Todd, Craig, and several others take Lisa back to the Swift Road’ farm in order to help her heal. While there, she makes plans to retake the school. First, Todd sneaks back in to spy on Tom and get a message to Charlie, Lisa’s military general. Charlie then brings some soldiers to meet Lisa, and they go to the neighboring towns in an attempt to build an army. They’re unsuccessful, but when they return, they discover that news of Lisa’s survival has driven hundreds of children from Glenbard to Swift Road in support of her. They return to retake the school; Tom initially tricks Lisa, but Lisa talks Tom down by pointing out that he’s just scared he’ll be unable to earn his own way. Tom and his gang then leave the school to Lisa, who ends the novel by addressing her faithful citizens once again.