Books with author Anita Horrocks

It is the hot prairie summer of her twelfth year and Elsie is at a crossroads. Her beloved mother who is mentally ill has been hospitalized, and Elsie thinks that the breakdown is all her fault. Mental illness is simply not discussed in Elsie’s close-knit Mennonite community and she is rudderless. Nothing Elsie does seems to go right: there’s no pleasing her bossy older sister; she forgets to feed the cat, so her father gives it away; she’s supposed to watch out for her younger sister, but she lets her come home alone from the swimming pool (despite the lurking menace of a weird stranger around town); and she bargains with God to make her mother well again — to no evident avail.Elsie’s conversations with God, her struggle to overcome guilt, and her honest desire to prove herself are laced with a wicked wit and clarity of vision. Almost Eden is a beautiful portrait of a town, a family, and a young woman willing to challenge the things that don’t make sense to her, and to fix the things that don’t seem right.

Most of the time, Silas loves having seven grandparents. Each of them has something unique and valuable to offer. They take him to amusement parks, museums, dog shows and camping. But when Silas' parents go away on a business trip, all seven grandparents invite Silas to stay with them. One Silas can't be with seven different grandparents at the same time! How can he choose one without hurting the others' feelings? Silas' Seven Grandparents is a fun and loving story about having multiple sets of grandparents and stepgrandparents as a result of divorce and remarriage. Silas' grandparents enjoy exposing him to a variety of interests, values and cultures. But problems arise when Silas feels he can't be everywhere at once. In the end, it's Silas' sensitive, inclusive nature that brings everyone together.

When Christopher and his little sister, Stacie, go with their dad to restore a rundown cabin, all they want is to keep him from selling it. But their father hates his family's old summer place, and is determined to get rid of it as soon as possible. As time passes, Chris and Stacie have to admit that the cabin seems cursed, and danger stalks the lake. Worse, their father is beginning to frighten Chris with his sudden temper and unreasonable behaviour. And now Stacie, who has always had an active imagination, is saying things that go well beyond her knowledge - at least of this world. What secret haunts this family? Will Chris ever be able to trust his dad again? And before tragedy repeats itself, can Stacie and Chris discover what really caused the death of the mysterious boy named Topher? 2001 R. Ross Award Finalist, CLA Book of the Year for Children Award Canadian Children's Book Centre, Our Choice Starred Selection 2002 MYRCA Nominee 2002 Rocky Mountain Book Award Nominee

It is the hot prairie summer of her twelfth year and Elsie is at a crossroads. Her beloved mother who is mentally ill has been hospitalized, and Elsie thinks that the breakdown is all her fault. Mental illness is simply not discussed in Elsie’s close-knit Mennonite community and she is rudderless. Nothing Elsie does seems to go right: there’s no pleasing her bossy older sister; she forgets to feed the cat, so her father gives it away; she’s supposed to watch out for her younger sister, but she lets her come home alone from the swimming pool (despite the lurking menace of a weird stranger around town); and she bargains with God to make her mother well again — to no evident avail.Elsie’s conversations with God, her struggle to overcome guilt, and her honest desire to prove herself are laced with a wicked wit and clarity of vision. Almost Eden is a beautiful portrait of a town, a family, and a young woman willing to challenge the things that don’t make sense to her, and to fix the things that don’t seem right.

Silas is a small boy who finds a unique solution to keeping up with his seven adoring grandparents. Most of the time, Silas loves having seven grandparents. Each of them has something unique and valuable to offer. They take him to amusement parks, museums, dog shows and camping. When Silas' parents go away on a business trip, all seven grandparents invite Silas to stay with them. However, one Silas can't be with seven different grandparents at once. How can he choose one without hurting the others' feelings? But Silas comes up with an especially good idea that makes everyone feel included and happy.

On Saturday night I lost my girl, and where do you think I found her? When Hannah was little she used to make her father repeat the nursery rhyme over and over. But she isn't a little girl any more, and she isn't truely lost. No one, especially her dad, can't reach her. To her older sister, Kelly, Hannah's terrible anger is a cry out for help as well as a source of shame and frustration. What could a science fair project have to do with Hannah's sudden destructive behaviour? Clues lie hidden in Hannah's secret box and Kelly must piece the puzzle together quickly because time is running out. Through her frightened eyes we watch as a struggling, loving family draws closer to disaster.

When Hannah was little she used to make her father repeat the nursery rhyme over and over. But she isn't little anymore and she's truly lost. No one, especially her dad, can reach her. Kelly, Hannah's older sister, is pretty sure it all started at the science fair, where Hannah flew into a rage at her best friend, Kyle. She won't have anything to do with him anymore. Instead she's hanging out with a new, rough crowd of friends, ditching school and mouthing off to teachers when she does attend. Soon Hannah is sneaking out at night and coming home drunk. Then the police are bringing her home and she's charged with breaking and entering. Hannah is spinning out of control, destroying her already fragile family. In Hannah's secret box, Kelly discovers fragments of clues: notes from friends, letters, school reports, postcards, newspaper clippings. She begins to piece together the reason behind Hannah's shattered life. But nothing prepares her for Hannah's anguished explosion at their father, and the devastating secret she reveals. The family does their best to pick up the pieces, but what will it take for Hannah to find herself again? And will her new friends let her go that easily? Winner, 1999 Writers Guild of Alberta Book Awards, R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature Winner, 2000 Red Maple Children's Choice Award, Ontario Library Association 1999-2000 Our Choice Star Selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre On the New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age List, 2000

Ever since his little brother died, Darien has been practically invisible to his parents. Their pain echoes his, but the only one who notices is Darien's dog, Ringo. The loss of Jeri is hard enough, but then there is the recurring nightmare, always terrifying, always the same - until now. Now it has begun happening while Darien is awake and the dangers are real. But even at the most horrible moments a presence, familiar yet strange, comforting yet disturbing, is with him. It comes on the wind and smells like toothpaste and peanut butter. It smells like Jeri and it is here to save him.