About the Book
Eleven-year-old Cooper Cameron likes things to be in order. When he eats, he chews every bite three times on each side. Sometimes he washes his hands in the air with invisible water. He invented these rituals after the death of his beloved grandfather to protect others he loves from terrible harm.
But when Cooper's strange behavior drives a wedge between his parents, and his relationship with his older sister, Caddie, begins to fray, his mother's only solution is to take Cooper and Caddie to the family cabin for the summer.
Armed with a collection of rocks, his pet frog, and his notebook, Cooper vows to cure himself and bring his damaged family back together.
About the Author :
Jane O'Reilly lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, dog, and cat in a hundred-year-old house that creaks in the night.
Review :
After the death of his grandfather, 11-year-old Cooper Cameron develops a complicated relationship with 'That Boy, ' the voice inside of him that compels him to complete elaborate counting and washing rituals that he feels he must do to prevent terrible things from happening to his family. When medication and therapy fail Cooper, his mother moves him and his 15-year-old sister Caddie to their grandfather's cabin for the summer, away from his angry and abusive father, who does not understand his compulsions. With the assistance of his sister; his new friend Mike; Mr. Bell, a nonagenarian who loves ice cream as much as Cooper does; and the daily observations he records in his notebook, Cooper learns that 'sometimes you have to let go' and be brave. The novel provides a heartfelt portrayal of one boy's experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cooper is helped by a cast of supporting characters, who shine almost as brightly as he does. -VERDICT An unforgettable, much-needed story; a strong purchase for all collections.--starred, School Library Journal
-- "Journal"
An attentive observer and methodical worrier, soon-to-be-sixth-grader Cooper Cameron learns about resilience as he works to protect those he loves most. A bittersweet summer tale set in Minnesota, this book will be most appreciated by those who enjoy a thoughtful story. Literally. This narrative is entirely expressed through Cooper's thoroughly engrossing thoughts, and it's full of the musings and observations that he records in a small notebook. Two years after the death of his grandfather and the onset of intrusive thoughts about death and his family's endangerment, Cooper develops patterns and behaviors to ensure their protection, such as reading the words, lines, and pages of books three times over, washing his hands in invisible water, and closely observing everything. But even as he endeavors to keep his family from bursting into flames, Cooper's behavior worries everyone and puts pressure on an already-strained fault line between his parents and also between himself and the rest of the family. O'Reilly (The Secret of Goldenrod, 2016) delivers a nuanced and empowering narrative that uplifts rather than undermines Cooper's unique perspective on his world, even as he works to reconcile that perspective with his family's. The book pulls no punches with regard to the realities of intolerance (even among loved ones) toward neurodivergence while nevertheless validating Cooper's methods of making meaning as he navigates trauma and grief on his own terms. Racial markers are absent, as is any evidence of racialized experience. Intricate, meticulous, unforgettable.--starred, Kirkus Reviews
-- "Journal"
Cooper Cameron is a unique and unforgettable character, a boy who sees the beauty in bugs and the heroism in frogs.--Kurtis Scaletta, author of Mudville and Rooting for Rafael Rosales
-- "Other Print"
Ever since his grandfather died, eleven-year-old Cooper has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, convinced that only he can prevent something terrible from happening to his other family members. He counts, he reads, he washes his hands in the air, and he tidies and organizes with maddening (to the people around him) precision. Medication hasn't helped curb his compulsions, and while his father responds with anger, his mother tries to heed his doctor's advice to support him without judgment, taking Cooper and his fifteen-year-old sister Caddie to spend the summer at their grandfather's cabin. O'Reilly's rhythmic prose is evocative in its cadence and repetition, giving Cooper's struggle against his compulsions a poignant immediacy as he befriends an elderly neighbor and a teenaged boy who shares his love of reading and records his fears and observations in the notebook he always carries. The focus is on Cooper's OCD, but the emotional center of the novel is his relationship with Caddie, who is as fiercely protective of him as she is embarrassed by his strange behavior. Cooper's father's brief appearances are a dark spot in the warm family dynamic, and his fear and anger are credibly portrayed. The novel ends on a hopeful note, with Cooper cautiously overcoming his fear of the water with the encouragement of his friends and family. An author's note reveals that Cooper is based on O'Reilly's sister and explains the disorder in terms appropriate for young readers.--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
-- "Journal"
The summer after fifth grade, Cooper, his mother, and his older sister go to the lakeside cabin where he witnessed his grandpa's death two years ago. Traumatized by that experience, Cooper heeds a voice inside him that worries about those around him and often compels him to protect them through repeated, irrational actions. Though intellectually precocious, he often seems much younger than his years. His life is constricted by anxiety and the need to hide his coping mechanisms, particularly from his father, who is scared and angered by their strangeness. At the lake, Cooper makes some tentative progress until his father stops in for an unexpected visit and tensions mount. While first person is assumed to be the most intimate voice for fiction, this third-person story takes readers into the mind of a character affected by OCD. Written in short sentences, the style features a fine economy of expression. The book's jacket art is lovely but suggests a relatively lighthearted adventure story. Readers who persevere will find a perceptive character study within a quiet, involving novel.--Booklist
-- "Website"
