Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Characters and Plot Summary

Jacob Portman

This young boy is saddened by the strange death of his grandfather. With signs pointing to the supernatural, he travels to the children's home which housed his grandfather when he was young.

Grandpa Portman

Abe Portman is Jacob's grandfather, who grew up in the children's home on the island of Cairnholm under the supervision of Miss Peregrine. While in the home, he developed a relationship with Emma Bloom. Abe left the island and fought in the army, eventually moving to America and starting a new family. He dies at the very beginning of the novel, but leaves Jacob with the information he needs to find Miss Peregrine and her time loop on Cairnholm.

Mr./Mrs. Portman

Son of Abe and father of Jacob, he is an avid birdwatcher and aspiring author, but cannot seem to finish a book and get published. He accompanies Jacob to Cairnholm to study the bird species there. Jacob's mother, she loves her son but believes he is mentally ill after his stories of seeing a strange monster kill his grandfather.

Ricky

Jacob's only friend before traveling to Cairnholm, Ricky and Jacob develop a friendship based on mutual need. Jacob helps Ricky pass English, while Ricky ensures that Jacob is not tormented by bullies at school.

Dr. Golan

Jacob's psychiatrist, he turns out to be a wight that has been following Jacob his entire life, hoping to be led to Cairnholm.

Dylan/Worm

The fishmonger in the town of Cairnholm, he is the first person to take Jacob anywhere near the abandoned house. Dylan's friend, he also comes along to show Jacob how to get to the house.

Emma

This young girl finds Jacob and serves as a sidekick in his adventures. She is the one who lets him into the time loop and later helps Jacob with his hunt for the hollowgast. She's described by Jacob as being "strikingly beautiful." Her peculiarity is the ability to spout flames from her hands.

Milliard

One of the peculiar children, he has the power of invisibility.

Olive

One of the peculiar children, she has the ability to float on air. She must wear leaden shoes to keep herself on the ground.

Miss Peregrine

This woman runs an orphanage for children called peculiars who each have a unique power. For instance, one child is invisible and another has superhuman strength. She herself is a shapeshifter who can become a bird. The novel's final conflict arises when she is kidnapped and kept in her bird form.

Hugh

One of the peculiar children, he has a colony of bees living inside his mouth.

Enoch

One of the peculiar children, he has the ability to take life from one source and put it into another. He is able to raise the dead to speak with them by using the life from another animal's heart.

Fiona

One of the peculiar children, she is wild-looking and has the ability to make all kinds of plants grow with her mind.

Bronwyn

One of the peculiar children, she possesses superhuman strength.

Claire

A peculiar child, she has a mouth on the back of her head.

Victor

Bronwyn's brother and one of the peculiar children, he was killed by a hollow. Enoch often rouses Victor with his ability so that they can speak with him.

Horace

One of the peculiar children, he has prophetic dreams about the future.