Happy Tuesday, y’all! Happy Valentine’s Day too! This week Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl made this week’s topic for TTT a Valentine’s Day freebie. Instead, I decided to celebrate a different holiday. In Ontario, Monday, February 20, is Family Day, a day we are supposed to spend bonding with our families. I have decided to share ten of my favorite fictional families in honor of Family Day.
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Some are by blood, while others are found. No matter what the family looks like, it should be celebrated because no one can survive in this world alone.
All titles link to Goodreads.
Now, let’s look at ten of my favorite fictional families!
The Weasleys
There are already so many people in the Burrow; do you think Molly and Arthur would notice if anyone else joined? Everything about the Burrow is cozy and comforting. And with so many siblings, could you ever be bored? Imagine the adventures the Weasleys have around the house and what fun it must be playing with Arthur’s collection of muggle items.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
The Beldens
This is probably the first fictional family I wanted to be a part of growing up. Trixie could have adventures, with and without her brothers, on their farm and the neighboring property. The parents were so warm, though Mrs. Belden always wanted Trixie to be a bit more ladylike. Brian and Mart are always trying to protect Trixie, but they seem to find themselves in her investigations more often than not.
The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell
The de Luces
I will admit I have only read a couple of books in this series, but I have grown to adore the de Luce family. There are Ophelia and Daphne, the long-suffering older sisters of Flavia, and I say long-suffering as Flavia takes great pleasure in tormenting them. Of course, they often torment Flavia. Then there is their father, Colonel de Luce, who is mourning the death of if wife several years prior. Dogger, the handyman, is probably Flavia’s best friend, even if she won’t say it. I think I would enjoy a visit with the de Luces, so long as I didn’t have to eat any of Mrs. Mullet’s custard pie.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Pages
They live above the bookstore they own. Isn’t that enough reason to want to be a part of the family?
Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
The Fowls
Okay, hear me out for a minute! While Angelina Fowl is often in a deep depression, bordering on catatonic at times, she does love Artemis. As for Artemis Sr, he is a family man who is trying to do the best he can for his family. While there is a bit of mystery surrounding the Fowl family’s fortune, you are left to believe that it may not have been accrued in an honest way. But Aremis Jr is trying to get his parents back with only the help of Butler, his personal bodyguard. Along the way, he may start a war, but he also makes friends (something he’s never succeeded at previously).
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Howards
They adopt a puppy who suddenly grows large they have to leave their lives in the city and move to a remote island. What’s not to love about a family like that?
Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
The Lambchops
Your son gets flattened overnight, and you don’t freak out? You embrace him, you love him, and you travel the world with him. How can you not love this family?
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
The Jacksons
No, I’m not talking about smelly Gabe! I’m talking about Sally and Percy. While their core family is tiny, just the two of them, Sally embraces all of Percy’s camp friends as though they were her own. When Sally meets and marries Paul, Percy is happy to have a family. Especially after the Battle of Manhattan. And Estelle? We are all waiting to see what wonderful things she brings to the world.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Nina Hill’s Circle of Friends
Nina Hill is an introvert at heart. Yet, she has managed to build a great family through her job at Knight’s Books and her pub trivia team. While she can be a bit of a know-it-all, who wouldn’t want a circle of friends like her?
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
The Town of Broken Wheel, Iowa
What a whole town! Why not? Sure, they have their issues; what large group of people doesn’t? But when it matters, they have each other’s back.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
That is ten of my favorite fictional families. Have you ever met these families? What are some of your favorite fictional families?
Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
What a wonderful idea for a post! You may have inspired me to write my own! I’ll tag you! Happy family day!
What a heartwarming list for 14 Feb! My first love goes to the Weasleys, of course. 🙂
Great idea for a list for today. I remember reading lots of Trixie Belden books (my mom loved mysteries) when I was a kid, and I think I need to read another one this year.
I hope you have a good Family Day! I usually just relax on that day. 🙂
Broken Wheel sounds like a good place to visit.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-liked-about-asexual-characters/
Unfortunately, I have to work this weekend, so I won’t get to see much of my family. 🙁
Great list! Good family relationships are seldom mentioned enough in fiction reviews.
My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2023/02/14/top-ten-tuesday-free-short-fiction-for-valentines-day/
The Howards bring back such great memories! My daughter went through a huge Clifford faze when she was little. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ah what a lovely idea for this week’s post! I don’t know if it would love to be part of the Weasleys or not, I come from quite a small family so being part of a family that big might be a bit chaotic for me but I do love them! The Fowls is an….interesting choice. I’d definitely love to hang with Percy and his mum though!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/14/top-ten-tuesday-407/
Love this theme! And 100% agree with the Weasleys. I always thought it would be a lovely place to be–all those people, and they’re still so endlessly welcoming.
I hope you have a great Family Day!
FangirlFlax @ FangirlFlax
https://fangirlflax.wordpress.com/2023/02/14/top-ten-tuesday-five-romcoms-i-think-ill-fall-in-love-with/
I own a couple of the Trixie Belden books, but cannot remember if I read them as a kid or not. Either way, I love a good book family. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my website today.
This is fun! Thanks for sharing.
Gotta love the Weasley’s and the Jackson’s! And also loved Nina Hill’s little family.
I love that you went with this topic. And I definitely love the Weasleys myself too. If there ever was a family I’d love to join.. it is that one. 😀
Really enjoyed The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. Great idea for the post.
Pam! I love everything about this post, especially the fact that Ontario celebrates Family Day! I also enjoy the books that you highlight, because so many of them bring back fond memories of my childhood, like Flat Stanley and Clifford. Thanks for the smiles and the trip down memory lane.
Some excellent choices here!
I love that you included Nina Hill’s friends since I love found family in books!
What a great idea! I might have to steal your topic one day. How can someone not love the Weasleys? Thanks for sharing such a fun topic and for visiting my blog today.
Families Day sounds fantastic! I love it. The Weasleys were the first family that came to my mind for this topic, too. They’re the best and they definitely wouldn’t mind (or probably even notice) if we both joined the fam 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Love this idea! And some of them will definitely make it on mine as well.. I need to get reading Broken Wheel soon 🙂
Here is my Valentine-y TTT
Nina Hill’s friends are wonderful! A big part of why I enjoyed that book so much were the friendships 🙂 Great list!
This is a great top ten, Pam. I am also from Ontario, but will not be home for Family Day. I love some of your found families. Readers of Broken Wheel was such an amazing book. Definitely underrated.
Stories about families seem to rarely be happy ones – maybe because angst/strife/conflict make for more interesting stories? Terrific list.
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
So fun! I love the Weasleys and the Beldens too. Other favorite fictional families for me would include the Curtises in The Outsiders, the Starretts in Shane, the Cuthberts in Anne of Green Gables, the Morlands in Northanger Abbey, the Pevensies in the Narnia books, the Vanderbeekers in the books by Karina Yan Glaser, and the Marches and Bhaers in Little Women and Little Men. SO many wonderful, loving fictional families!!!
I like the topic you choose for this freebie week. Maybe I’ll remember where I made note of it so next time there’s a freebie I can steal it!
Have a wonderful weekend.
What a fantastic post! The de Luces are a favorite at our house, and I would just love to move into the Burrow with the Weasleys. I might borrow this topic in the future. Such fun!
Happy weekend!
The Weasley are one of my favorites too. I also love The Jacksons and Nina Hill’s friend group.
Great topic choice! I really should read the bookwanderers books. 😉 Love the Weasleys and I loved Broken Wheel. Happy reading!
A great choice for the prompt. I love the Weasley’s too!
Have a great week!
What a great topic — maybe I’ll borrow this one from *you*! Have to think on it for a while, though. In the meantime, enjoying all your blurbs, even when I don’t know the books. Especially the one for Tilly and the Bookwanderers — that is indeed all the hook I need.
Also love the inclusion of the Beldens; I don’t remember very much about them but I just found book 2 in the sale corner at the library and have been kind of paging through it (and immediately remembering why this world seemed more exciting than Nancy Drew’s as a kid, haha).