5 Fictional Fathers Who Remind Us of Our Real Life Dad Heroes

Denny (Racing in the Rain: My Life As a Dog, by Garth Stein)
Ambitious, compassionate, and dedicated master of Enzo and father to Zoë­; I, along with tons of readers, fell in love with Denny in the adult bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain. Now, young readers can appreciate the story of a widower fighting in court against his in-laws for the right to remain a father to his daughter while also pursuing his passion as a race car driver. The story, told through the eyes of his dog Enzo, celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and reminds us of the power and purity of a father’s love.

Mr. Elias (A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban)
Zoe’s dad is thoughtful and quirky. Like any great father, he wants to help his daughter succeed in life, but when his attempt at surprising Zoe with an organ instead of the piano she dreamed of leaves her mystified, she chooses to place his fragile ego ahead of her own desires and allows her hopes to fall by the wayside. Afraid to leave the house, her dad’s own fears stand in the way of his opening his eyes to the possibilities his daughter so clearly envisions for herself. However, just as sometimes happens in our own lives, what appears to be a case of hopes derailed turns out to be life going exactly the way it should.

Mr. Quimby (Ramona and Her Father, by Beverly Cleary)
Ramona’s dad is attentive, funny, and patient when it comes to her well-intentioned antics, but when Mr. Quimby loses his job, the joking stops. Since he’s the family’s primary breadwinner, this unexpected event is a tragedy in the Quimby household, and Ramona does all she can to make everyone, especially her father, happy. Despite Ramona’s unconventional attempts at forcing her father to quit smoking (not to mention her teacher’s constant disappointment in her difficult behavior), Mr. Quimby appreciates his daughter for who she is, and he wouldn’t trade her for the world.

William (Danny the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl)
As a boy lucky enough to have his father as his best friend, it’s no wonder Danny feels so empowered to live a life of adventure with his dad. William is a single father and an incredible storyteller. When his son discovers a family secret that leads to their devising a plan against the evil Mr. Hazell, young readers are pulled into a wonderfully bizarre and hilarious tale of a mechanic’s son turned poaching-scheme-mastermind. This story of the bond between a boy and his father brings us the humor and colorful imagination that Roald Dahl fans expect of his work and may even remind you, with a smile, of that time when you and your dad…well, you remember.

Gil (Picture Me Gone, by Meg Rosoff)
Some relationships with fathers are complicated. Mila’s dad, Gil, is a college professor and translator turned investigator when he takes his daughter with him from London to New York to track down his best friend who has gone missing. Through their adventures together, the young, but mature, protagonist is able to piece together a complex mystery and learns more about her father in the process than she may have bargained for. As a father, Gil appreciates his daughter’s sharpness but may have underestimated how adept Mila is at picking up on what is said and what isn’t. He’s obviously done a better job of raising her than he realized.
Who would make the cut in your lineup of best or most memorable dads in fiction?