Mo is the father of the main character Meggie in the Inkheart Trilogy. He is not only an amazing single dad, but he is a book binder as well! As if these two things don't make him cool enough he has the special ability to read things out of books. Essentially sometimes when he reads aloud, and object or person will actually come out of the book he is reading. The downside to this is that sometimes people and things can get read into the book as well, and sometimes get lost, this is what happened to Meggies mother, which left Mo as a single dad. My favorite part about Mo is that even in his grief over losing his wife, he does his best to make sure that Meggie grows up with an insatiable love of books! Love him so much.
Aurthor Weasly of the Harry Potter series personifies the perfect comfy dad. He is the dad who is always up for something new, as curious as his kids are and secretly proud when they discover something on their own...even if it is through methods that his lovely wife may not approve. He is a perfect balance of love, discipline, worry, understanding, and absentmindedness that a good book dad should be. I also love that while he may appear to be a bit bumbly and pre-occupied he is incredibly smart and able to hold is own in even the most dangerous of situations. He also does not let his exuberant child like side overide his need to be a good parent, especially when his children, real or adopted are in danger.
The Jane Austen classic Emma features Mr. Woodhouse the most doting of fathers. His overindulgent, overly worried care and love of his daughters and anybody whom he considers family makes this potentially obnoxious character endearing instead. He is a man obsessed with the happiness and comfort of others, convinced that none, especially his dear sweet perfect daughters will have even a bit of joy unless they are at home with him in the familiar confines of home. His worry however does not extend to actually stopping his beloved daughters from heading out into the world and finding happiness of there own. In fact it is the consideration the girls give to Mr. Woodhouse, despite his overly protective tendancies that shows what a good father he really is. His ability to let them go, in the face of all his fears for their well being proves the point.
Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird is the epitome of a good example. When you hear a kid say she/he wants to be just like Dad when they grow up, you really hope it is the type of dad that Atticus is. His children Scout and Jem learn so much from this man, they learn a sense of right and wrong, even if it is hard. They learn to look past the surface and find that justice should (even if it does not always) descend any pre-concived notion of a person. I love the fact that this story is shown from the children's point of view. It is always amazing watching how a child views a parent. In this situation Atticus's actions reached much further than just the courtroom, but also help shape the lives of his very own children. One can only hope that there are other fathers like this out there.
Mr. Quimby from the Ramona series always felt like the most realistic of good dads. He worked hard, provided for his family, went back to school, lost his job, got another job all things most normal people can relate too. What makes Mr. Quimby a special dad, aside from the fact he is willing to work even the most menile jobs to provide for his family is his special connection to every member of the family. It is clear that he respects as well as loves his wife, is able to be there for his teenage daughter Bezus and of course he always is the one member of the family who seems to understand our quirky little Ramona. His ability to get down on her level, regardless of her age and really try and understand why she does some of the things she does vs just responding to them, just melts my own little weirdo heart.
There you have it, some of my favorite dads in literature. There are of course many examples of wonderful fathers, but I like to think that this little cross-section hits a variety of them. Happy Fathers Day to all of you wonderful people out there, weather you be a biological, step, fill-in, in-law, outlaw, or just somebody who stops in from time to time to make sure your okay dad, we love you so much!
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