This week is all about those characters in books that we wish were in our family!
1. Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)...a wonderful, articulate and intelligent father figure.
2. Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen)...a fun, understanding, and thoughtful big brother.
3. Stargirl (Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli)...an utterly unique cousin.
4. Marmie (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)...a humanitarian-minded mother
5. August Boatwright (Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd)...an understanding, comforting aunt.
6. Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen)...a no-nonsense big sister who handles things well in a crisis yet is kind and a good friend.
7. Karl Shoemaker (Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes)...younger brother who is capable of helping without taking over and a great listener.
8. Enzo (The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein)...I want a dog like Enzo!
9. Isabel Dalhousie (The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith)...mother-in-law who considers herself a philosopher so never jumps to conclusions.
10. Antonio Corelli (Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres)...a grandpa who could sing in Italian and play me songs on his mandolin...and maybe take me for rides on his motorcycle.
11. Miss Love Simpson (Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns)...a step-mother who loves and plays with all her heart
12. Jean Valjean (Les Miserables by Victor Hugo)...a grandfather; dedicated to a righteous cause.
13. Frankie Landau-Banks (The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart)...a plucky younger sister full of self-confidence and charm.
This is just a funny, silly list. I actually love my family and wouldn't replace them with any literary characters, no matter how perfect they are.
