Eight Best Literary Dads

In honor of Father’s Day this Sunday we decided to compile a list of our favorite literary dads. What were our criteria? This was a hard one.  There are so many qualities that make a great dad/father figure.  Sometimes it’s someone who shows you unconditional love and support.   Sometimes it’s someone who teaches important life lessons, and other times it might be someone who is there to add some fun.  So, in honor of our own wonderful fathers and husbands who are wonderful fathers, here is our list of best literary dads.

Atticus Finch in To Kill a  Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the best example of unbreakable moral fiber.  He is loving and kind, dignified and loyal.  He is the perfect example of a dad any kid would be happy to have around.

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. – To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

Sirius Black is Harry Potter’s godfather.  He loves Harry and repeatedly risks his life to ensure Harry’s safety.  Although we don’t meet Sirius Until Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, we can’t hold that against him.  Arthur Weasley also came to mind as a wonderful and caring dad; however, we had to give this one to Sirius.  

Mr. Penderwick from The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy is the dad who trusts his children immensely and lets them make their own mistakes.  He loves them and supports them through good and bad and we love him all the more for it.  

In Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton may seem like an unlikely choice.  However, he proves the power that love and nurturing can have on a child (bird or elephant).  This story is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books because of the powerful message it delivers.  

I meant what I said and I  said what I meant.  An elephant’s faithful one hundred percent.

Who has read the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo  (or seen the Broadway performance) without tearing up about the love Jean Valjean shows Cosette.  Not his daughter by birth, he risks everything to ensure that she is safe and loved.  I’m getting teared up just thinking of it.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder tells the story of a family growing up in the late 1800s in Wisconsin.  Pa Ingalls is central in the stories as such a loving and caring father who loves his daughters.  These books, based on the life of Laura, brings Pa to life.  His violin plays his children to sleep in the long cold winters, through hardship and loss.  

No matter how many times I read Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery, I love Matthew Cuthbert more every time.  To steal Anne’s words, he is a kindred spirit.  He is instantly drawn to Anne’s endless chatter.  He is the one that teaches Anne what it feels like to be wanted and loved.  Despite not being related by blood, Matthew Cuthbert is one of my all-time favorite literary dads. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is one of my favorite books.  Charlie Bucket, a sweet and kind boy who lives in poverty with his parents and grandparents, wins a trip to a chocolate factory. Grandpa Joe accompanies him on this journey into the great world of Willy Wonka.  The family owns nothing, eats next to nothing and yet, they never lose their positive outlook.  Grandpa Joe, who had not left his bed in years, is a true example of unconditional love. 

I’ve heard tell that what you imagine sometimes comes true.
– Grandpa Joe in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory