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, lunchlady 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 is unknown what happened to her spouse, considering he was never mentioned in any episodes, but it is most likely he is deceased or her and Thora are divorced.

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, her son David told Arthur that when he was young, Thora was in a car accident but wasn't hurt.
 * 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.

Appearances

 * Season 1
 * Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe 109b
 * Arthur's Chicken Pox 118a
 * Arthur's Almost Boring Day 120a
 * The Half-Baked Sale 120b
 * Arthur's New Year's Eve 130b
 * Season 2
 * D.W. the Picky Eater 203a
 * Lost! 209a
 * Grandma Thora Appreciation Day 215a
 * Arthur vs. the Very Mean Crossing Guard 218a
 * Season 3
 * Arthur Rides the Bandwagon 307a
 * D.W.'s Perfect Wish 314b
 * Season 4
 * The Blizzard 405a
 * Prunella's Prediction 408b
 * Season 5
 * Arthur and the Big Riddle 501a
 * Just Desserts 509a
 * Season 6
 * Arthur Loses His Marbles 610a
 * Season 7
 * Is There a Doctor in the House? 708b
 * Season 8
 * Arthur's Snow Biz 803a
 * Postcards from Buster 806
 * Bleep 810b
 * Season 9
 * Arthur Weighs In 903a
 * It Came from Beyond 906b
 * Season 10
 * Family Fortune
 * Season 14
 * D.W., Queen of the Comeback 140901
 * Season 17
 * Dog's Best Friend
 * Season 20
 * That's MY Grandma!