Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
$13.91$13.91
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
$12.52$12.52
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Martistore
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
OK
Audible sample Sample
Beneath the Swirling Sky (The Restorationists) Hardcover – September 12, 2023
Purchase options and add-ons
“A delightful adventure, excellent for reading aloud. This book will make you want to study Van Gogh and get out the paintbrushes!”—Sarah Mackenzie, founder and host of Read-Aloud Revival® and author of The Read-Aloud Family
After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his little sister, Lili, spend spring break with their art conservator great-uncle, Vincent’s plan is to stay glued to his phone.
That is, until Lili disappears into one of the world’s most famous paintings and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from him: Their family is the last of The Restorationists, a secret society with the power to travel through paintings—and a duty to protect them from evil forces.
With Lili’s safety on the line, leaving art behind is no longer an option. Vincent must team up with his know-it-all second-cousin Georgia, wrestle with why his parents lied to him, and confront both his past and a future he never wanted. Young readers are invited into a captivating universe where paintings become a portal—and adventure and danger lurk beyond every canvas.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level3 - 7
- Dimensions5.66 x 1.03 x 8.53 inches
- PublisherWaterBrook
- Publication dateSeptember 12, 2023
- ISBN-100593579526
- ISBN-13978-0593579527
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
Similar items that may ship from close to you
From the Publisher
|
|
|
---|---|---|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A delightful adventure, excellent for reading aloud. This book will make you want to study Van Gogh and get out the paintbrushes!”—Sarah Mackenzie, founder and host of Read-Aloud Revival and author of The Read-Aloud Family
“This carefully composed story is certain to captivate and delight your creative kids.”—S. D. Smith, author of the Green Ember series
“Beneath the Swirling Sky adds to the literary canon that blends art and mystery, such as From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Chasing Vermeer. An art adventure woven with truth and beauty.”—Megan Saben, associate editor for Redeemed Reader and author of Something Better Coming
“What a timely tale of uplifting the good and slow work of art-making. Carolyn Leiloglou sets out to restore humanity’s fractured connection with history’s great painters, and she pulls young readers in so close to historic works of art that they can almost smell the paint.”—Joe Sutphin, illustrator of the Wingfeather Saga, Little Pilgrim’s Progress, and the official graphic novelization of Watership Down
“A truly absorbing tale that drew me into the colorful and mysterious world, kindling my imagination—and heart—all along the way.”—Scott James, author of The Sower, The Littlest Watchman, The Expected One, and Where Is Wisdom?
“A captivating story that paints relatable childhood struggles against a background of brilliant adventure.”—James D. Witmer, managing editor of Story Warren and author of A Year in the Big Old Garden and The Strange New Dog
About the Author
Vivienne To is a New Zealand-based illustrator and artist who has designed several animated feature films and created illustrations for many middle grade books. When she isn't drawing, Vivienne can be found knitting on the couch, watching cute dogs at the local park, or reading in the children's section of the library.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Vincent should have been spending spring break at the beach or Knott’s Berry Farm or at least having a video-game marathon with his friends. Instead, he was staring out the backseat window at the endless Texas countryside rolling by. He let his eyes unfocus, and the field, cows, and clumps of short trees blurred like an impressionist painting. But painting—or rather, not painting—was what had gotten him into this mess. Mom thought she was being subtle about it, but Vincent knew the only reason she and Dad had booked a cruise out of Galveston instead of Los Angeles, where they lived, was her “secret” plan to reconnect him with art. Mom wanted Vincent and his sister, Lili, to meet her uncle Leo, who was some kind of art restorer.
Not just meet but stay with him for the whole week of spring break.
In the middle-of-nowhere Texas with no cell service.
At least when her plan failed, Mom might finally quit bugging him to paint again.
When Mom and Dad had sprung this plan on them, Vincent had tried to talk his way out of it. They’d never even met Mom’s extended family. Mom had just sighed and responded that sometimes family is complicated. Lili, of course, had instantly added Uncle Leo to the family tree she was making for school, right alongside Vincent, Mom, Dad, and the birth parents she had never met.
Vincent smiled at the memory. Lili was always ready to welcome someone new, though she hadn’t always been that way. Three years ago, when Vincent was nine, his parents had adopted three-year-old Lili from China. They’d spent almost two weeks with her in China, and then finally, on the day before they needed to fly home, Lili had clutched Vincent’s hand, refusing to let go. Some siblings didn’t get along, but Vincent and Lili had been close ever since that moment, even though it had taken a while before they spoke the same language.
“I’m amazed you can still find this place without GPS,” Dad said as Mom pulled off the two-lane road onto a gravel drive.
Vincent got his first glimpse of his great-uncle Leo’s two-story white ranch house. It stood alone in a field dotted with red and blue wildflowers. Vincent felt like he’d been dropped in an endless world on Minecraft, minus the ability to build.
“Remember,” Mom said as they got out of the car, “your great-uncle does some very important art conservation he can tell you about, and he’s got lots of beautiful paintings you can look at. But no touching the art.” She gave Vincent a very serious look as if this were something he might actually be tempted to do. “Understand?”
“No problem.” He wasn’t planning on touching the art or doing anything else with it.
“I want to see all the pretty pictures,” Lili said. She hopped up and down, her ever-present toy bunny, Mr. Rumples, tucked snugly under her arm.
“You can look at all the pictures that aren’t in Uncle Leo’s work studio. And there’s lots to do outside. You can pick wildflowers, catch grasshoppers. There’s even a river, but you should not go there without your brother. Vincent, please make sure to watch your sister.” Mom sighed as she looked out across the field with the hint of a smile. “I used to love it here.”
The front door burst open, and a thin man with wiry gray hair and a bushy white mustache strode toward them with arms stretched wide.
“Artemisia! Jeffery! How the heck are y’all?” His deep Texas drawl surprised Vincent. Mom had grown up nearby and didn’t really have an accent. Did she use to talk like that?
Uncle Leo hugged Mom and shook Dad’s hand before turning to Vincent and Lili. “Vincent! You remind me so much of your grandfather with those brown eyes.” He clapped him on the shoulder, then squatted. “And you must be Lilias.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake, and she gave him a high five. Vincent smiled while his parents tried to show Lili how to shake hands.
A laugh from the porch drew Vincent’s attention. A tall girl in short overalls stood in the doorway. She looked about Vincent’s age, with olive skin and short copper-red hair sticking up all over her head like she’d cut it herself. His own curly brown hair might be untamable, but at least he tried. She had a gray smear of something across her cheek, and more spots covered her arms and clothes like she’d just lost a mud fight to a pig. He wouldn’t be caught dead in public looking like that. Even if there was barely anyone here to see him.
“Georgia,” Uncle Leo called, waving her down to join them, “come meet your second cousins.”
Vincent hadn’t realized he had a second cousin, much less that he’d apparently be spending a week with her. Hopefully she wouldn’t be as weird as she looked.
“Georgia! It’s nice to finally meet you.” Mom’s fake-happy voice set Vincent on edge. She talked like that only when things weren’t going the way she had planned but she didn’t want anyone to know. She gathered Georgia into an awkward hug, but Vincent didn’t miss the worried glance she shared with Dad over Georgia’s shoulder. Yup, something was off here. “Uncle Leo didn’t tell me you’d be here! Are your parents visiting as well?”
“No, ma’am, it’s just me,” Georgia responded. Now that she was closer, the spots on her face and arms definitely looked like mud.
“I see.” Mom looked significantly at Uncle Leo. “Vincent, why don’t you grab the bags? And, Georgia, do you mind helping them get settled while we have a little chat with your grandfather?”
Georgia nodded and jogged down to the car. “I can carry Lili’s bag upstairs.” She lifted Lili’s flower-covered suitcase from the trunk.
She seemed nice enough, even if she looked like a homeless person. So why was Mom acting so jumpy? Something strange was going on.
Product details
- Publisher : WaterBrook (September 12, 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0593579526
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593579527
- Reading age : 9 - 12 years, from customers
- Grade level : 3 - 7
- Item Weight : 12.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.66 x 1.03 x 8.53 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #455,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #327 in Children's Art Fiction
- #8,430 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books
- #11,076 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Carolyn is the granddaughter of art collectors, daughter of an art teacher, and homeschooling mom to four wildly creative kids. She’s the award-winning author of the picture book Library’s Most Wanted, and her poems and short stories have appeared in children’s magazines around the world including Highlights, Ladybug, and The School Magazine in Australia..
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Beneath a Swirling Sky dives into important topics while being simple enough for middle grade readers to understand. It is no secret that kids change drastically when they move into middle school, often ditching much of their creativity to blend in with the crowd (I know I did). Beneath a Swirling Sky teaches kids not to buy into this lie. When I look back on myself in middle school, I know that this book would have told me exactly what I needed to hear.
Vincent, though perhaps a less interesting protagonist in himself (a la Harry Potter), is a needed hero in a world that teaches kids to stop creating. Georgia is spunky, fun, and (bonus points!) an actually accurate representation of a homeschooler. Lilli is adorable, Ravi is positively mysterious, and the villain (no spoilers!) is revealed in a fantabulous plot twist.
As soon as I opened this book, the magic system transported me into a new world, just as Vincent was transported into Starry Night. Not only is the magic system behind Traveling unique—it is also well organized. As characters travel through paintings, the reader is immersed in adventure and history at the same time. As an artist and art history nerd, this book was truly a delight to read. Everything was so well researched, and this quality alone makes Beneath a Swirling Sky a great read for older teens too. It was really hard for me to put this book down. This book is not your typical YA or middle grade fantasy.
Art-centric fiction is almost impossible to find in the middle grade and YA genre. Beneath a Swirling Sky fills this void. This book reminds kids who live in a STEM and AI dominated world that art does matter. The things they create have value, and the arts are worth pursuing. Distortions may not be real, but the power of creativity and friendship is, and this is exactly the takeaway of Beneath a Swirling Sky.
Read this book. You won’t regret it.
We’d just read “Land of Stories” together before this, where kids fall into a fairy tale world (kinda meh for me), so we half expected the same kind of "other world" idea here, but we were way off - this was really something new and cool.
You can’t read this without a device on hand to look up all the artwork and history referenced in the book, and I learned a lot of cool factoids from it, and we had some great conversations after each reading. Chilling moments, good twists, excitement, character, thought provoking commentary about creating and loving art… I highly recommend it!
Parents note: The book contains nothing I found objectionable as a parent, even though the story gets exciting and suspenseful, nothing was upsetting to my kids. We've read CS Lewis, Hobbit, Redwall, Wingfeather, Land of Stories, the first Harry Potter, etc.
Strengths:
My 9-year-old asked if there's a second book as we neared the end—a sure sign of a good book in our household.
Appreciated the depth of characters woven throughout the narrative.
Faith aspect incorporated throughout the book, but in a thoughtful manner.
Additional Notes:
Opportunities to learn more about various artists, their creations, and techniques provide an interesting educational backdrop to the plot.
I have sent this book to so many people. I hope there are more coming in this series!