The Notations of Cooper Cameron

Gr 4–6—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.