SOLVED. YA Science fiction Post Apocalyptic female protagonist - Nuclear war doesn't affect the valley where this girl lives. Bombs go off while all the town's adults and a big chunk of other children go to the County/State fair outside of the valley. [s]

[Cindy]

SINGLE SPOILER AT THE END OF THE POST

I read this book as a pre-teen or early teenager in the early 80s. I don't recall the main character's name but she was left behind along with other kids who were suffering from a flu or other contagious illness during the biggest event of the year for the valley. The county/state fair. The book is about how she survives and supports a younger friend / sibling(??) in a "lord of the flies" kind of environment.

The valley remains untouched by the fallout and the kids who were left in the town have to learn how to survive off of what they have available to them, including things like twinkles and water out of toilet tanks. There are clear antagonists in the book, primarily the bullies she dealt with in school (primarily male) and they attempt to take her supplies in numerous conflicts.

Very strong female character.

SPOILER


(view spoiler)[ the last scene in the book is an adult in a radiation suit coming over the hill into the valley (hide spoiler)]

[Trilobyte]

Z for Zachariah

[Jamie]

Similar to Z for Zachariah (lone girl, nuclear fallout, radiation suit), but the plot is totally different (in Z, there are never any other children, there's no flu, no Twinkies, etc).

Is there a chance that Cindy is mixing two books together in her mind? Z for Zachariah, plus.....maybe The Girl Who Owned a City? That one has more of a Lord of the Flies vibe...

[Cindy]

I think you may be correct Jamie. I’m going to check out both books and see if my adult brain melded these preteen memories before I call this solved.

Thanks so much for bringing Z for Zachariah (trilobyte) and The Girl Who Owned a City to my attention. I feel like this mystery may almost be solved.

[Jamie]

Even if neither of the books is the one, Z for Zachariah is excellent, and still very relevant today. I just reread it for the first time as an adult, and was blown away how much the author "gets it".

[Kris]

Here are the Google Books previews of:

1) Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien - https://books.google.com/books?id=w5G... There are different cover images.

2) The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson - https://books.google.com/books?id=O1R... There are different cover images.

[Cindy]

Thanks Kris! I’ve got them now.

[SamSpayedPI]

While some of the plot elements match The Girl Who Owned a City, (strong female character learning to survive without adults, supporting a younger sibling, fighting for supplies against bullies); in that book there was a virus that wiped out everyone over age twelve (no nuclear event or fallout, no (view spoiler)[adult in a radiation suit at the end (hide spoiler)]).

[Jamie]

SamSpayedPI wrote: "While some of the plot elements match The Girl Who Owned a City, (strong female character learning to survive without adults, supporting a younger sibling, fighting for supplies again..."

That's why I wonder if she's mixing these two books together in her memory.

[Cindy]

So, The Girl who Owned a City is not the book I am thinking of. It’s publication date was long after the time frame I would have read the “mystery book”. (Good read for kids though!) I am evaluating “Z” next to see if it rings the right bells for me.

[Kris]

FYI, The Girl Who Owned a City was first published in 1975.

[Cindy]

That’s interesting. The version I’m reading must have been updated. Copyright date is 1995 and references things that weren’t a reality in ‘75 like CDs.

[Cindy]

Yup! Updated version. Ok. Back to checking both titles out.

Can I just say how awesome you guys are for helping me decipher this puzzle! It’s been bothering me since my daughter was 8 and I wanted to share it with her.

[Rainbowheart]

Still looking, Cindy?

[Cindy]

Nope! We can officially close this one out. I had mixed the two books into one and after rereading them both am completely satisfied that I was originally thinking of “The Girl who Owned a City”

Thanks to everyone who helped me figure this out.

[Rainbowheart]

Great news! Thanks for letting us know. :)

[Debra]

I had no idea there was an updated The Girl who Owned a City. i still own the original one. I have to look for the updated version!