Top Five Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by the Bionic Book Worm. This month is focusing on giving book recommendations based upon each Hogwarts house, starting with Gryffindor! When I think of this house, I usually think of heavy and action-oriented plots that feature protagonists that aren’t afraid to take initiative in times of crisis. With this in mind, here are five fantastic books and series for all of the Gryffindors out there!
Sadie is a perfect example of a Gryffindor book because of the titular protagonist. Her quest to find her sister’s killer puts her in a number of situations that would make anyone else in her position give up, but she keeps on going. She certainly gets scared on more than one occasion, but instead of letting the fear win, she weaponizes it and is tremendously courageous as a result.
It may be a bit of a cheap answer, but there’s no denying that Katniss from The Hunger Games is a perfect Gryffindor. Throughout the series, she is constantly defying the system in order to save others. She volunteers for the games in place of her sister, and then proceeds to repeatedly show bravery in the face of incredible danger.
I’m bringing in a classic here with The Lady of Shallot. I will admit that I’m not overly familiar with poetry, but I studied a lot of Tennyson in my college English major. Of everything I read from him, this poem really stuck out to me. The titular Lady of Shallot is stuck in a tower due to a curse and desperately wants out. One day, she decides to break free, even if it costs her own life to do so. Her courage in this one action to do what she wants, no matter the cost, shows her inner Gryffindor.
Dumplin’ is a good example of a Gryffindor character in a more normal, everyday story. Willowdean Dickson doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes is right and she refuses to be treated poorly by anyone. No matter what, even when it gets her in trouble, it is always clear that Willowdean is unapologetically herself.
Finally, Ms. Marvel rounds out my top five Gryffindor recommendations. Sure, it’s easy to put a superhero on this list because bravery is a defining trait of all of them, but Kamala Khan goes beyond this. Not only does she save the world regularly, but she does so on her own terms. She is constantly grappling with how to be a hero while keeping her personal and family values in check. Whenever something makes her uncomfortable, like wearing an immodest hero outfit, she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. In my mind, Kamala is a Gryffindor both in and out of the superhero garb.
What books do you think fit the Gryffindor mold? Let me know in the comments below!
The Hannie Corner 
Yes! Katniss is literally the perfect example! I hadn’t even thought of her!!!! Great list as well!
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I haven’t read The Hunger Games in forever, but I always think of her when I think of Gryffindors.
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Me neither, I read it like in seventh grade haha 😂
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Fantastic choices! I never even thought of Dumplin – She’s a total Gryffindor!
Thanks for participating – added you to the list 🙂
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Thanks for organizing these, they’re so much fun!
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Kamala Khan, that’s an excellent choice!!
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Thanks! I’m behind on reading Ms. Marvel, but I love her so much!
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Kamala Khan Ms. Marvel is excellent! Up there as my fave modern superhero.
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I especially love what a great entry point Ms. Marvel is. As a pretty casual Marvel fan, I find it really difficult to get into a comic series because they always require extensive knowledge of the extended universe. Ms. Marvel feels like it’s meant as a way to get new fans into the world and I’ve never felt lost or punished for not reading other Marvel series.
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Totally agree with her story being accessible. For years, I was stuck in analysis paralysis trying to figure out where I should start reading Marvel/DC due to how long those franchises have been around for and how many times those universes have been reset. Maybe Kamala Khan grows to that size eventually, but it’s fairly manageable right now.
I’m really hoping that we get a tease of Kamala Khan in a post-credit sequence in the upcoming Captain Marvel movie.
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Sadie was nearly on my list! She just lacked the humor Shanah described as a Gryffindor’s trait but she has all the other!
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I feel like Hogwarts houses are interesting because everyone will probably sort characters different places. I’ve seen huge feuds break out on social media over whether a character has more traits from House a vs house b.
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SUPER YAAYYY FOR THE HUNGER GAMES
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Definitely! Deserves a reread sometime.
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Dumplin’ and Sadie are such perfect picks for this! Both Willow-Dean and Sadie are such fierce, courageous protagonists – doesn’t mean they are fearless, just that they remain steadfast even in the face of fear. Lovely post. ❤
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I love them both so much!
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