Thora Read

Thora Read or mainly known as Grandma Thora is a fictional character in the Arthur books and television series. She is the mother of David Read and the grandmother of Arthur, D.W., and Kate. Her husband was never seen nor mentioned, but it is likely that she is widowed. She is named after author Marc Brown's own grandmother, Thora Brown.



She is shown to be very kind and understanding, but she is also a poor cook. She loves bingo and is best friends with Mrs MacGrady. She sometimes babysits her grandkids such as on New Years Eve to which 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 good. In one episode she is seen watching an antique show with Arthur, D.W. has stated that she dislikes the show.



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.