A killing virus has swept the earth, sparing only children through the age of twelve. There is chaos everywhere, even in formely prosperous mid-America. Gangs and fierce armies of children begin to form almost immediately. It would be the same for the children on Grand Avenue but for Lisa, a ten-year-old girl who becomes their leader. Because of Lisa, they have food, even toys, in abundance. And now they can protect themselves from the fierce gangs that roam the neighborhoods. But for how long? Then Lisa conceives the idea of a fortress, a city in which the children could live safely and happily always, and she intends to lead them there.

Reading age

12 years and up
Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Dimensions

10.64 x 0.86 x 17.48 cm
Publisher

Laurel Leaf
Publication date

Sept. 15 1977
ISBN-10

9780440928935
ISBN-13

978-0440928935
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Product description

From the Publisher

A killing virus has swept the earth, sparing only children through the age of twelve. There is chaos everywhere, even in formely prosperous mid-America. Gangs and fierce armies of children begin to form almost immediately. It would be the same for the children on Grand Avenue but for Lisa, a yen-year-old girl who becomes their leader. Because of Lisa, they have food, even toys, in abundance. And now they can protect themselves from the fierce gangs that roam the neighborhoods. But for how long? Then Lisa conceives the idea of a fortress, a city in which the children could live safely and happily always, and she intends to lead them there.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0440928931
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Laurel Leaf (Sept. 15 1977)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780440928935
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0440928935
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 90.7 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.64 x 0.86 x 17.48 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #1,479,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #80,478 in Children's Books on Growing Up & the Facts of Life
- #84,359 in Science Fiction (Books)
- #182,396 in Literature & Fiction for Children (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 711 ratings

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O. T. Nelson

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Top reviews from Canada

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Camera tester mama

Great read!

Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2023

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I read this in the early 80s and just bought a copy for my 13 year old for Xmas. Can’t wait for her to read it! It was eye opening back then and I know she’ll enjoy it!

Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2022

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An approachable ‘lord of the flies’ for pre highschool ages - variety of âge suitabliltiy as you’ll find someone your age to identify with - really REALLY leads to discussion (make sure you have time to talk and listen and think and brainstorm while reading)….encourage reading this slow….don’t rush it - a lot of ‘coming of age’ and survival introspection taking place in the reader / listener!

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Karen D

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2018

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Great book

Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2014

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I read it in high school and wanted to reread this book. Its cute but a simple read.

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Scoopriches

The Girl Who Owned A City: A Story Of Survival

Reviewed in Canada on July 11, 2013

My recent completion of the classic Are you there God? It’s me Margaret by the esteemed Judy Blume really struck a chord. My thinking reached for literature aimed at kids that went beyond their young years.

Unfortunately, a whole good chunk of kids lit I consumed when I was a wee little one were simply fun reads with few social issues involved. These days a plethora of books fitting that bill exists, with Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and the writing of Lesley Livingston being recent ones I have read that fit that category.

But one book, which I discovered when I was a teen, struck me as the extreme counter edge to Margaret. It does reach the same depths of discussion of thoughts, feelings and events that shape a preteens life, but also it examines a horrifying situation she is thrust into. A heavy dose of social issues are thrown in for good measure, just like with Margaret.

The very not obvious connection, except for in my weirdly geeky brain, is to the 1975 kids classic The Girl Who Owned A City by O.T. Nelson, a book I have not reread in a very long time. Those of you have read both are probably scratching their heads and wondering if I have been exposed to Kyrptonite, but I am mostly referring to the issues involved, not the plots.

The Girl Who Owned A City is a very post-apocalyptic story that can be considered the grandmother to the Gone series by Michael Grant. The earth has been hit with a virus that has killed everyone over the age of twelve. Picking up shortly after the last adult passes away, we have ten year old Lisa and her younger brother living in their house still. Food is becoming scarcer and scarcer and survival threatened, so Lisa has to take action. Realizing supplies are just a bit further away, she takes the family car and starts foraging.

But this spark of ingenuity comes with a price. A foolish, exuberant act causes them to fall prey to other kids who steal the food. Lisa devises defenses against them, but the situation quickly escalates. At this point the title of the book kicks in, and Lisa moves multitudes of children into the local high school, making it into a fortress like city. This makes the other kid gangs also up the ante. Resolutions are only partial at best for all that happens, with plenty of room for the long promised sequels.

One of the interesting parts of The Girl Who Owned A City is the myriad social issues scattered through the story. Leadership, responsibility and survival become the most obvious, along with the assuming of adult tasks by young children. Lisa takes on the lions share of the thinking, organizing and planning for this safe haven.

All this stress presses down on her, causing loopy thoughts about how she “owns” this city and how everyone works for her. I know the term is in the title, but it still feels weird when it is commented on so much. This becomes a sticking point for Lisa, and makes everyone I have ever met who has read the book to question her sanity. While doing research for The Girl Who Owned A City, I found out that writer O.T. Nelson wanted the book to promote and explain Ayn Rand’s nutty Objectivism “philosophy” to his kids and others. Methinks he failed in a major way here. All those parts just read wacky.

The Girl Who Owned A City may not feature a girl worried about her bra size or petty gossip, but instead has a preteen trying to survive and rebuild. That is not a slam on Margaret, which is an everyday portrait of a child turning into an adult and a classic, but a commentary on very different situations. But the self doubt, mistakes and wondering about existence that plague Margaret also hinder Lisa.

I kinda wonder what they would talk about if they met. That would make fascinating fanfic.

2 people found this helpful

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B. McClure

Speaking From The Inside....

Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2003

Okay, I read this book years ago... Actually, it was required reading for me and my classmates. Why? Because it takes place in my hometown in Illinois. The main idea is that all the adults in the world have died from a strange virus, and kids (about 12 and younger) are forced to carry on with survival. It's not some remote island; it takes place in Chicago's suburbia, so the basic needs can be found and had. The problem is that the gangs have now formed, and they either fight amongst themselves for resources and territory, or form alliances with each other for survival. The main character (Lisa) pretty much the head of one group, and when things turn south for them, she has this idea to move everyone into the old high-school. This old high-school just happens to pretty much be an old castle on top of one of the only hills in the area.
Reading it again as an adult, I do see some flaws, but having read it for the first time in junior-high, I loved the story, and put myself in the main character's shoes. Okay, it helped that I lived there, knew people on Chidester and Elm, knew one of the teachers (Remember she mentions that "Mrs. Moran" wouldn't have given her high marks on her Constitution? That was actually a social-studies teacher at the local junior-high-school.), and eventually graduated from "Glenbard" (okay, it's one of four "Glenbard" schools in the district). I think it's a really good read for that age group, especially for kids who enjoy stories that make them think a bit...

Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2000

I read this book first when I was in the sixth grade and I never forgot it. I think it was the first time I realized I like sci-fi/fantasy stories. Since then, I've devoured just about everything in that genre, and I'd like to thank Mr. Nelson for introducing me to it.
I think what struck me most was that it was a GIRL that owned the city. I read so many things where the boy was the hero and the girl was the follower. I loved that this time the girl led. Also, I live in Illinois, and I got chills knowing that the places in the book actually exist. (For the Trivia buff above--Lisa and Todd are the names of the author's children!)
I'm buying a copy of this book to add to my own collection, in the hopes that one day my children will enjoy it as much as I did. I realized a couple of years ago that books that I enjoyed as a child won't be around anymore when my kids are growing up, so I putting my own collection together. The Girl Who Owned a City was one of the first that I thought of to add to it.
I would recommend this book to girls especially, and to all children in the fifth grade or so and up. Despite the violence (which would probably definitely happen in a situation such as this), the politics and symbolism completely went over my head at that age. All I saw was a fascinating story. (Adults analyze things to death, as most of you kids probably already know)

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Michael Lynn McGuire

A standalone juvenile apocalyptic science fiction book

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023

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A standalone juvenile apocalyptic science fiction book. I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Carolrhoda Books in 2012 that I bought new on Amazon. The original book was published by Dell in 1975. The book is dedicated to Lisa and Todd. There is also a graphic novel edition published in 2012.

The book starts a short time after all of the adults on Earth above the age of twelve have passed away due to a deadly virus. Lisa Nelson is a ten year girl who is taking care of her of her younger brother Todd in their family home. She is raiding abandoned homes for food, matches, and other supplies. Many of the kids are joining gangs with the promise of food and safety in numbers. Things come to a head when Lisa is away and a gang breaks into their home, beats up Todd, and steals all of their food. Lisa must find a safer place for them and more food.

The book is kind of a mix of "Lord Of The Flies" and any number of deadly viral outbreak (pandemic) novels. In fact, the book could also be influenced by an early Star Trek episode, "Miri".

There is a much better review by James Nicoll at:

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Gina P

Classic book

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023

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Love the story but not a fan of this book cover

Deborah

Living in Fear?

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023

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This book is intended for middle grade school but as an adult I found it to be a compelling dystopian story. I was surprised that I had never read this book in 5th or 6th grade. I think I would have enjoyed it even more.

As I read I found myself totally absorbed into this world where young children were trying to survive without adults. Everyone over 12 dies from a plague. The children, filled with fear of the unknown, must learn to survive; learn to take care of themselves. With the help of Lisa and her creative mind can they overcome the odds?

Great book about overcoming fear and perseverance. Wish the end hadn't been so rushed.

OpheliasOwn

Dated but Interesting Post-Apocalypse

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2012

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While we may think the post-apocalyptic and dystopic trends in YA literature are relatively new, we seem to forget those gems like The Giver, White Mountains, and others. There might be a lot of YA out there these days, but there were some good ones out there before "the big YA boom"! O.T. Nelson's The Girl Who Owned a City looks at a world without adults where kids have to grow up quickly... or not grow up at all.

When the adults all die of a flu that doesn't affect children under the age of 12, the children are let to fend for themselves. They can't drive, no one is making or delivering food anymore, and there is no electricity. many kids are starving, but Lisa has to take care of her brother. She is very crafty and won't let her age keep her from keeping what's left of her family alive. First she starts out by raiding nearby farms, but she quickly realizes that won't last forever. When she finds a grocery warehouse, she knows they can make it through the winter. What she doesn't expect is just how far hungry kids will go to get some food.

After her brother is attacked, Lisa organizes the other kids on the block, promising food if they all work together to protect their street. This lasts for a short while until the gangs burn her house to the ground as a warning to join them or suffer the consequences. Lisa won't be bullied, and with a few other trusted kids, she schemes to take over the one defensible castle she knows- the school. They secretly move to the school after reinforcing it to be a fortress, and create a community complete with a secret tunnel. But the gangs won't give up until they have what Lisa has created, at any cost.

This book was written in the mid-1970's, and you can certainly tell that as you read it. I remember reading young adult stories when I was young, and with the exception of a select few, they were never really as exciting or polished as YA books these days. This book felt a little clunky and childish at times, and I think it might be too "40 years ago" for our skeptical students. Personally, I have no problem with the "outdated" nature of older books, but my students tend to be a bit more jaded when it comes to older stories. As a post-apocalyptic novel, it was really interesting how some kids gave up and others persevered. It also really explored the good and bad morals between working for what you have (although got a little preachy at times) and stealing from other people.

I think the reading level for this is certainly middle school, but I probably wouldn't give this dated story to a kid unless they had rampaged through my PA and dystopias already. Maybe for a little context of how far the genre has come in 40 years with a strong reader? But if you are a fan of dystopias and post-apocalyptic stories, give this one a try!

8 people found this helpful

The Professor

Solid

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2020

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This one gets nostalgia points for me because my 6th grade teacher read it to us. That said it has some good, if a bit simplistic lessons to offer. Definitely don’t love the “people who work are good and people who don’t are bad” subtext that plays out a lot more complicatedly in real life than this book would have you believe. But I do believe finding ways to earn the things you want in life is a generally good thing to be teaching people, young and old alike.

5 people found this helpful

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The Girl Who Owned A City Mass Market Paperback – Sept. 15 1977