Thora Read

Thora Read, commonly known as Grandma Thora, is the mother of David Read and his siblings as well as the grandmother to their children, including Arthur, D.W., and Kate.

Personality
She is shown to be very kind, supportive, and understanding, but is also a poor cook. She loves bingo and is best friends with Mrs. MacGrady, lunch lady for Lakewood Elementary. She sometimes babysits her grandkids such as on New Year's Eve, when she allowed D.W. to stay up until midnight not knowing that D.W.'s parents already told her that she couldn't. She's also very good at playing marbles and gives Arthur some lessons on how to play the game well. In Family Fortune, she goes to an antique show with two of her grandchildren.

She has a prized doll named Clarissa (shown in Clarissa is Cracked). In the same episode, it is revealed that she has three older brothers. She also takes in a stray dog named Killer that was found on her porch. It's never been revealed who her husband (the father of David and his siblings and the paternal grandfather of Arthur and his sisters), as he's never been seen or mentioned--it's likely that Thora's widowed.

Appearances

 * Season 1
 * Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe 10902
 * Arthur's Chicken Pox 11801
 * Arthur's Almost Boring Day 12001
 * The Half-Baked Sale 12001
 * Arthur's New Year's Eve 13002
 * Season 2
 * D.W. the Picky Eater 20301
 * Lost! 20902
 * Grandma Thora Appreciation Day 21501
 * Arthur vs. the Very Mean Crossing Guard 21801
 * Season 3
 * Arthur Rides the Bandwagon 30701
 * Clarissa is Cracked 31202
 * D.W.'s Perfect Wish 31402
 * Season 4
 * The Blizzard 40501
 * Prunella's Prediction 40802
 * Buster's Best Behavior (Cameo, Arthur's transformation disguise)
 * Season 5
 * Arthur and the Big Riddle 50101
 * Just Desserts 50901
 * Season 6
 * Arthur Loses His Marbles 61001
 * Season 7
 * Is There a Doctor in the House? 70802
 * Season 8
 * Arthur's Snow Biz 80301
 * Sue Ellen Chickens Out 80502
 * Postcards from Buster 80600
 * Bleep 81002
 * Season 9
 * Arthur Weighs In 90301
 * It Came From Beyond 90602
 * Season 10
 * The Secret About Secrets 100302
 * Family Fortune 100402
 * Season 11
 * Swept Away 110101
 * Mind Your Manners (Mentioned) 110202
 * Season 12
 * Never, Never, Never (Mentioned) 120102
 * Bats in the Belfry 120302
 * Season 13
 * Arthur's Number Nightmare (Fantasy) 130301
 * The Good, the Bad, and the Binky (Cameo) 130402
 * No Acting, Please 130501
 * A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Tibble 130701
 * Season 14
 * Follow the Bouncing Ball (Cameo) 140601
 * Arthur Unravels 140801
 * D.W., Queen of the Comeback 140901
 * Season 15
 * The Last King of Lambland (Cameo) 150302
 * Season 16
 * All About D.W. 160301
 * Season 17
 * Dog's Best Friend 170102
 * Season 19
 * Arthur's Toy Trouble 190301
 * Season 20
 * That's MY Grandma! 200402
 * Season 21
 * Invasion of the Soccer Fans 210701
 * Pal and the Big Itch 210702

Trivia

 * She is named after author Marc Brown's own grandmother, Thora Brown.
 * When she was a child, Thora had a close resemblance to D.W.
 * In D.W., the Picky Eater, it is revealed that Thora's birthday is on the 18th day of an unknown month with 31 days (there are 7).
 * In April 9th, David explains that when he was Arthur's age, Thora got into a car accident (though she wasn't hurt). For a time afterwards, David feared that Thora would get into another car accident.
 * In later episodes she has been shown to be cooking better.
 * In publicity/promotional materials, she is typically referred to as "Grandma Thora."
 * In Clarissa is Cracked, it is revealed she is a columnist.
 * She was the one who gave Arthur his iconic yellow sweater.
 * Thora's maiden name has never been revealed and it's never explained who her husband (the father of David and his siblings) was or if she was ever married.
 * In Buster's Best Behavior, Thora doesn't appear in the episode herself, Arthur transforms into her during the episode intro after he stole D.W.'s TV time.