The Restorationists by Carolyn Leiloglou

Vincent discovers that he, his second cousin Georgia, and most of his extended family have the ability to travel through paintings. They are the last of a group called the Restorationists whose duty it is to protect art, and Vincent finds out quickly there is much to protect it from. Readers will travel through art on this fast-paced adventure with Vincent and Georgia.

Reading Level: Ages 8-10
Read Aloud Age: 8+

This middle grade fiction series is delightfully original in its premise and quickly draws the reader into a world of art, fantastical abilities, and the nefarious forces against which Vincent and his family must fight. Whether your child is an art lover or has zero interest, this series will captivate their minds and peak their imaginations. Who hasn’t seen a beautiful painting and thought, I wish I could just climb inside? At a bare minimum, I would suggest pulling up pictures of the artwork referenced in each book. These are listed in the back of each. The author writes in a generally easy to follow flow, although I will admit I was a tad fuzzy in book 1 on some of the rules that accompany the art-hopping, special abilities.

Readers don’t only get a fast-paced adventure, but they also are able to see the characters grow and change. While there are only a few references to Jesus or spiritual things, do note them below as you might want to expound on the way these are phrased. Overall, this is a wonderful series that you can feel good handing your child.

Language:
“How the heck are y’all?”
“The guard swore and glanced around the room…”

Questionable Behaviors:
Vincent withholds information from his family, but later confesses.
There is stealing of paintings, lying, holding children hostage, more from the “bad guys.”

Sexual Content:
Vincent and Georgia have to walk through a painting containing nudes, but they put a canoe over their heads.
A character in a painting tries to flirt with Georgia.

Spiritual Content:
It is noted that Van Gogh felt closer to God through nature and Vincent (the book character) relates to this thinking about when staring at the Pacific Ocean, “God felt close but transcendent.” Georgia says art makes her feel closer to God. I don’t think the intent was to put down the local church, but it might be misconstrued as Georgia notes why in the painting, the “sky is so alive but the church is dark.” Van Gogh himself did not have a Biblical worldview, rather a mix of Christianity and elements of pantheism, specifically concerning nature. (This is not mentioned in the book.) It’s very short exchange, but worth noting.

When discussing the painting Belshazzar’s Feast by Rembrandt (which is a depiction of Daniel 5) Georgia likens the help they are trying to give to the “floating hand thing.” I don’t believe the author’s intent was to elevate what they were doing to God’s intercession, but it’s an odd comment.

In Book 1, Vincent and Georgia enter Rembrandt’s painting Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee. The Rembrandt depicted Jesus looks at Vincent and, “It was like Jesus could see into the depths of Vincet’s soul….He expected Jesus would turn him away in disgust. But Jesus held his gaze, eyes soft and filled with love.” This isn’t a conversion scene in a Biblical sense, as there is no actual talk of sin or repentance, but Vincent has a new vision of who he could be: someone “who was willing to help others even if it cost him, who was brave enough to make art, matter what other people thought.” I do think this is the spiritual element that was most confusing as it reads like a conversion but has to do with Vincent rather than repentance and belief in Christ.

Other Things to Know:
In trying to be funny, Georgia references the “Boogeyman.”
There is one passage that makes homeschooling sound lonely (although I know that likely isn’t he author’s intent).

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