Jen Calonita remembered that as a child, her grandparents would tell her to look for buried treasure that was never found. She always wondered what that "missing treasure" could be, thus inspiring her to write "Isle of Ever."
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
As a kid, I visited my grandparents on the east end of the Long Island every summer. They lived near the beach and when I got bored, they'd tell me to dig for buried treasure, as they said some of Captain Kidd's treasure was never found. I always wondered where that "missing treasure" could be, and was convinced it might be on an island off Long Island the rest of the world couldn't see. I have thought about that idea since I was a kid and knew it was finally time to tell that story in a middle grade book. The story spans 200 years and takes place in two times: diaries in 1825 and present day 2025 with two strong female protagonists, Evelyn Terry and Benny Benedict.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
To me, it means supporting all books, fighting book bans and making sure that every child sees themselves in a story. We shouldn't be limiting books, we should be celebrating all of them. As I always tell kids when I visit schools for presentations, there is not one book for all readers. Every story has a right to be told, and they all should be available to readers.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
Everyone should be able to open a book and see themselves in it. My hope is that I tell stories that readers can connect with, find themselves in, and realize they're never alone. Books are such a wonderful way to connect not only with other readers, but to find yourself in.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
Benny Benedict has just found out she's been left a huge inheritance. In order to collect it, she must follow clues in a game to find a mysterious island off the coast of Long Island that doesn't exist on any maps. She only has two weeks to find the island so it's a race against time, setting up a story that will be told over three parts. There are mysteries, riddles, clues, pirates and a cursed treasure.
What can fans expect from your book?
I've never written anything like this before, and I'm not sure if it fits in the mystery box or the adventure box or if we can give it an all new box called adventure-mystery, but it's full of puzzles and riddles and diaries from 1825, newspaper clippings, post-it notes, an epic map and a story in 2025 that brings the whole mystery together. I hope readers will dive into this mystery and solve it along with my main character, Benny.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I'm actually working on "Isle of Ever 2: Cursebreaker," which will come out in 2026. But I also have two more books out in 2025; it was a busy year! "Tinker Bell: An Enchanter's Tale" is a YA origin story about Tink and how she found the Lost Boys, how she and Peter became friends and who broke her heart. You'd be surprised by the answer! That book is out September 2, 2025. I also have a middle grade book coming October 7, 2025 called "The Taylors" about four girls named Taylor after Taylor Swift who come together to get tickets to see her in concert. It's a love letter to Swifties everywhere.
