Readers will fall in love with Cooper, his sister, and his mom during this insightful tale chronicling their summer of change.  Told from Cooper's perspective as he struggles with OCD, the novel is insightful and endearing.

Death is hard for a child to deal with. Cooper is a young boy trying to navigate the feelings of sadness and guilt he feels after the death of his grandfather. This grief manifests itself into OCD behaviors. These behaviors take a toll on him physically and mentally. His family is at its wits end, especially The Father. 

I've rarely come across a book that deals with OCD in children and this story is truly a gift to help us all understand what might be going on inside the mind of someone who is dealing with this crippling mental illness. Cooper is lovable, strong and someone I wanted to cheer for throughout the story. It's a perfect middle grade book to teach kids about compassion and acceptance.

The Notations of Cooper Cameron was a very interesting and eye opening book. I have read a few other books where the main character is struggling with some form of OCD, but with this book, I really felt Cooper's constant struggle. I felt like I was struggling right along with him. There were numerous times when I wanted to dry wash my hands right along with him, or jump into the book and tell him that it's not his fault and that it's not up to him to keep everyone safe. 
I think this is an important book for the middle grade classroom. It will help kids to understand what it is like to live with OCD and it will also help those kids who have it to realize that it's ok and that there isn't something "wrong" wth them. I imagine it will also help them to realize that they should talk about it with the people that they love.

The Notations of Cooper Cameron is the story of a young boy learning how to manage his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder while grieving the loss of his grandfather. After his mother brings Cooper and his sister to their deceased grandfather's cabin for a summer, Cooper must face all of his fears at once - water, his father's anger, pepperoni, and the thought of all of his loved ones dying if he does not perform rituals such as reading all of the words in his book three times. 

For many, this may seem like a bizarre list of fears, but for those who suffer from OCD, it is all too familiar. Written as if the reader resides inside of Cooper's frantic and obsessive mind, this novel will provide young readers (and readers of all ages!) with the chance to experience a condition they may not understand otherwise. O'Reilly's inclusion of Cooper's thoughts throughout the narrative is exhausting, and at times one wishes they could escape his constant fears and rituals and move on to the next event. This is of course exactly what O'Reilly means to do, and she does it well. For Cooper, there is no permanent escape - some days are merely better than others. 

Overall, The Notations of Cooper Cameron is an interesting and worthwhile read. One of the only downfalls of the novel is its lack of character development. Cooper's sister Caddie too often fits the predictable mould of the moody, boy-obsessed teenage girl, and Cooper's relationship with his father is too one-dimensional and leaves a lot to be desired. Still, this book is recommended for those who wish to be exposed to a different kind of narrator who can show you exactly what it is like to live inside of his head for a summer.

This was a very heartfelt, poignant novel about a young boy struggling with OCD after the death of his grandfather. Believing his grandfather's death to be his fault, Cooper invents rituals he must complete in order to prevent the rest of his family from dying. These same rituals end up causing a rift in Cooper's family; his father just can't understand or accept him. But with the help of his sister who is "becoming more and more believable every day" and some new friends he makes along the way, Cooper gradually begins to understand that he can't control everything, and that he wasn't responsible for his grandfather's death. At times this novel got quite heavy. It deals with some mature themes, such as death, grief, mental illness and the stigma that comes with it. Cooper is wise beyond his years, always scribbling down words of wisdom in his notebook. I'm tempted to recommend this book only to older readers, but the prose isn't that difficult, and I think the author does a really good job of portraying a highly misunderstood mental illness. So while I'm not sure that every reader will enjoy this story, I think it definitely deserves to be read far and wide.

Jane O'Reilly has written an engaging and empowering novel that will help its readers explore a subject that is often either not discussed at all or merely a footnote to a story.  The writing is strong with authentic characterization and absorbing plotting.  This novel would be an excellent choice for beginning powerful conversations with tween readers.

After witnessing his grandfather's death Cooper sinks into a world of guilt and fears.  He is driven by OCD rituals in an effort to protect those he loves.  Returning to his grandfather's summer cabin, the scene of his death, Cooper is forced to confront his fears.  As he struggles to become the person he knows his family wants him to be, he desperately tries to break the OCD cycle and end his isolation.  With great courage and the love of his mother and sister as well as unexpected friends, Cooper finds a strength within himself.

Cooper Cameron has OCD and protects himself and his family by counting in three's and by washing.  When his family goes back to the site of his beloved grandfather's death, Cooper is forced to confront many of his fears head-on.  How he does so is remarkable.

This is a beautiful novel of empowerment and of not being afraid to be oneself while finding the courage to heal.

4.5 stars

This was a wonderful story with exceptional writing. It’s a story about an eleven-year-old boy with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the affects it has on his family. Cooper decides he wants to cure himself so that his family will be whole again.

I just loved the writing and the story execution. First, I love that his name, Cooper Cameron, is alliterative. This story is written in third person, but at times, the narrative voice sounds how somebody with OCD would think. One of Cooper’s rituals was to read everything in threes. When he read a novel, he would read every word, sentence, and page three times. He thought that if he didn’t, his family would (for example) burst into flames and die. Cooper loved to read Dante’s Inferno and when he read it, he would read it like this:

    ”We. We. We. In. In. In. Our. Our. Our…We in our turn stepped forward toward the city and through the gate…” 

I’ve heard of people having some of his rituals, especially when he needed to count or touch everything. Another common ritual is his excessive organization such as when he organized the pantry at the family’s cabin. I know people with OCD have to complete their rituals before they leave the house, so it can take a long time for them to finish before they leave.

Cooper kept a journal to write down his thoughts and things he wanted to remember. He’s a smart kid! He’d write insightful things such as, ”Sometimes you cannot see things that are crystal clear.” For an eleven-year-old, his thinking is very philosophical.

It was so easy to become completely engaged in this story and Cooper’s life. I just loved Cooper to death! Other than being smart, he was a sweet boy. His frog Amicus was his best friend and he took great care of him. He wanted to make friends and be normal, but he just didn’t know how. It was so sweet how Cooper made friends with that 90-something year old man. I sympathized for him. I wanted him cured and not be so fearful.

His family didn’t understand him, but his mother and his sister, Caddie, earn points for trying to connect with him. His sister was easily embarrassed by Cooper’s behavior, but she did attempt to play with him. His mother was patient, but his father scared him. Whenever Cooper had an OCD episode, his family would refer to that side of him as “That Boy”. It was as if “That Boy” was a separate entity.

Cooper read people very well. That was another thing I loved about him. When this family went to the cabin for the summer, Cooper met a couple of teen boys on the beach. He immediately knew which kid was the foe. He had more courage than he realized.

The Notations of Cooper Cameron entertained me from beginning to end. I read it in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. I feel like I’m not doing the book justice, so I hope you just take a chance and read it. I’m going to end my review with a couple of Cooper’s journal entries.

    ”Sometimes you don’t know you have done something brave until it is behind you.” 

    ”Sometimes you have to let go. And then you can use both hands to hang on for dear life.”