Amira is the protagonist and narrator of The Red Pencil, retelling her experiences in verse. She is a 12-year-old Sudanese girl, the older of two daughters in a family who lives on a farm in South Darfur. Amira is bright and naturally curious. This innate spark is seen and supported by her father, Dando, who gives Amira a twig with which she draws sand-pictures. Amira overhears Dando and their neighbor Old Anwar discussing how she has a gift, and would benefit from learning to read and write. She revels in this support, as her father’s approval is important to her.

Amira also shares a good relationship with her younger sister, Leila, and her mother, Muma. She admires Leila’s strength of spirit and tenacity; this is not only seen in Amira’s depictions of Leila, but her decision to confide in her about her plan to leave Kalma. She trusts her younger sister to not only keep her secret, but to understand her desire to leave. Amira loves Muma too, despite finding her views on education regressive. She mostly responds to her mother with grace and obedience. She does not want to vex her mother, especially with the latter is grieving her husband’s death.