The notations of Cooper Cameron

Name: The notations of Cooper Cameron
Author: Jane H. O'Reilly
ISBN: 9781512404159

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jane H. O'Reilly

Reading Level 2-3 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Cooper Cameron has a secret way of keeping the world safe—he chews every bite of food just right and even washes his hands in invisible water! But when these strange habits start to push his family apart, Cooper heads to a quiet lake cabin, determined to fix himself and save his family. What will happen when his perfect plans meet summer’s surprises?

Themes

Compulsive BehaviorAnxietyFamilyVacation HomesLakesJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

Eleven-year-old Cooper develops compulsive rituals after his grandfather's death, and his behavior strains his parents' marriage and his bond with his older sister. His mother sends the family to a summer cabin, where Cooper works to manage his anxiety and repair relationships. Parents should know the story treats grief, anxiety, and compulsive behavior with care and focuses on family healing, with no graphic content.

Why we rated The notations of Cooper Cameron ME (Moderate)

The notations of Cooper Cameron is written at a Level 2-3 reading level across 312 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage The notations of Cooper Cameron on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The notations of Cooper Cameron as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, The notations of Cooper Cameron explores compulsive behavior, anxiety, family, vacation homes, and lakes — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about compulsive behavior, anxiety, family.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?