The typical older children's or YA novel usually involves a teen/young adult main character with a crappy family. Dead relatives, evil step-siblings, bad foster family, etc. etc. But sometimes, you find a book that is all about found family. Relatives (blood or not) that rally around each other, support each other, and work together to make the best of whatever situation they're thrown into. These 5 families are some of my favorites (in no particular order), from books when I was little to now. The first 3 are the main characters of their series, the ones who are featured prominently throughout the novel as pictures of family (not perfect, but progressing), and the last 2 (the 5th in particular) are not featured as much as (I believe) that they should be, but are still a wonderful asset to the story itself.
1. The Penderwicks from The Penderwicks
Jeanne Birdsall wrote this series, 5 books in all. The first one is called The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. I can honestly say that this book was my whole childhood. I read it multiple times, listened to it on audiobook over and over with my mom and brother in the car, and did a book report on it in the 5th grade. It is the sweetest book about a single dad and his four daughters who take a vacation to a cottage behind Arundel Hall, home of a young boy they quickly become friends with. I love these books for some many reasons, but one is this: it is so heartwarming. Sometimes we need a break from those "sob-on-the-floor, throw-the-book-across-the-room, scream-and-cry" kind of novels. This family so obviously loves each other to death, and that is what makes them so amazing.
“She had to defend the people she loved the best.” -The Penderwicks
2. The Aldens from The Boxcar Children
The Aldens are the Boxcar Children, if you didn't know. Don't worry, I didn't either.
I don't think I've ever known anyone who hasn't heard of (if not read) at least the first boxcar children book. It is a "classic" children's book, and I read it over and over. There are so many books, but I never bothered to read much past the first five. After the first book, they're all some sort of mystery. I loved the first five, don't get me wrong, but I think after that I just started reading more YA and never got around to it (also, I have this thing where I really dislike long series. Ever tried to read the whole Rainbow Magic series? I tried for years when I was little and still didn't get to them all). Gertrude Chandler Warner takes four siblings, orphaned, puts them in an abandoned boxcar, and makes a story out of it. The way they take care of each other and get along so well might be a little unrealistic, but it's the sweetest thing ever. (PS: I also read The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm, written by someone else, and it wasn't bad.)
“One warm night four children stood in front of a bakery. No one knew them. No one knew where they had come from.” -The Boxcar Children
3. The Vanderbeekers from The Vanderbeekers
I mentioned the Vanderbeekers in my very first blog post (3 Books to Ring in the New Year). I actually read this series pretty recently, I found it at my local library and decided to give it a shot as a light read. I got what I wanted! It is a beautiful light read, full of love and (again) so heartwarming. The family of 7 (can you imagine having that many kids??) in Harlem, New York, took me away from life for a while and whisked me away to a world where every problem has a solution (no matter where you happen to find it).
“I have always believed that raising kids means more than just being a good parent and trying to do the right things. It means surrounding your kids with amazing people who can bring science experiments and jam cookies, laughter and joy, and beautiful experiences into their lives.” -The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
4. The Pevensies from The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis is a literal genius. Kings! Queens! Aslan! Magical creatures! Epic battles between good and evil! The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my all time favorite Chronicles of Narnia book, probably because it was the first one I read (and actually understood). The Pevensies are the main characters in that book, and also in Prince Caspian. The Pevensies are all children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy; and during World War II (forgive me if my facts are wrong) they were sent to live in the country. In an old mansion, they find magic...
There are also multiple movies for these books, and they're actually fairly accurate (I say that having not read the books or seen the movies in the while).
“If ever they remembered their life in this world it was as one remembers a dream.” -The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
5. The Weasleys from Harry Potter
Y'all knew they were gonna be on here ;). An iconic novel family from an even more iconic novel. To be completely honest, I think I love all of the canonical things that go on in the fandom even more than the books themselves (*cough* the marauders *cough*) . But the Weasleys are by far one of my favorite families ever, if only for how chaotic it is. They're a real family, not some sappy everyone-loves-everyone story spoon-fed to the readers (don't get me wrong, I love those too. I need a break from the sibling reality once in a while). They fight, they make up, they annoy each other, and they get in trouble. Mrs. Weasley is your typical cottage mom (I don't actually know if that's a thing, but we're just going with it), anyone who's a friend of my child is also my child. She's the glue that holds that family together (and occasionally the wooden spoon that keeps the children in line). Mr. Weasley is laid-back, chill, and obsessed with Muggles. I mean, he built a flying car! (Illegally, but still). Then there's the kids: Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Fred, Ron, and Ginny. Also, the extended family (I'm including in-laws here): Harry, Hermione, Fleur, Angelina, and so many others that the Weasleys welcome into their home.
"Red hair and a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley." -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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