91 ratings | 51 reviews | avg rating:4.87

Jenny’s Year In Books

Jenny’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Jenny’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Jenny’s 2025 Year in Books

Jenny Mattern’s Followers (18)

Jenny’s Bookshelves

to-read (278)
currently-reading (0)
read (92)
did-not-finish (0)
middle-grade (3)

Jenny’s Friends (8)

Christiana Doucette

2,044 books | 370 friends

Thushanthi Ponweera

197 books | 10 friends

493 books | 19 friends

Malia Maunakea

2 books | 1 friend

Cynthia Mackey

449 books | 234 friends

Ben Gartner

346 books | 324 friends

Anna’s Favs

28 books | 9 friends

Rebecca Chaney

0 books | 3 friends

Jenny Mattern

Goodreads Author

Website

https://jemattern.com/

Genre

Contemporary, Children's

Member Since

July 2020

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In the sixth grade, Jenny Mattern’s teacher wrote a note at the top of one of her stories telling her to keep up the “great” work. The quotation marks around the word great have haunted her ever since. In addition to creating stories that she hopes will finally meet Mrs. G’s approval, Jenny spends her free moments writing poetry, experimenting with new recipes, and chasing the high of her September 2024 Wordle-in-one.

Born and raised in the Seattle area, Jenny now lives in Montana with her family and a menagerie of pets. Where the Light Shines In is her debut novel.

Combine Editions
Jenny Mattern’s books

Average rating: 4.89 · 28 ratings · 24 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Where the Light Shines In 4.89 avg rating — 28 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Where The Light Shines In by Jenny Mattern (Goodreads Author), Cat Protano (Narrator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Where the Light Shines in by Jenny Mattern (Goodreads Author), Cat Protano (Reader) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Jenny’s Recent Updates

Jenny Mattern rated a book it was amazing Roxie in Color by Diane Debrovner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Roxie in Color is a heartfelt, unique, important middle grade novel. Even though it's over 300 pages, I read it in three sittings because the story was so engaging. It tells the story of Roxie, a middle-schooler who is excited to get a fresh start af ...more
Jun 21, 2026 01:38PM · like · see review
Jenny Mattern liked Melanie Dulaney's review of Where the Light Shines In: "Middle grade readers will need to have a tissue box handy for this real life inspired novel about adoption, family, opening your heart plus some possible thought provoking looks on honesty and communication. 13 year old, 8th grader Gloria Gibson has k" Read more of this review »
Jun 19, 2026 06:09PM · see review
Jenny Mattern has read Roxie in Color by Diane Debrovner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 19, 2026 06:06PM · like
Jenny Mattern liked Vicky 's review of Where the Light Shines In: "Gloria is adopted and she and her best friend Lottie play the Birth Mother Game looking at faces wondering if one could potentially be her birth mother. One day she sees a picture, Amanda, in the obituaries that looks just like her. She wants to go t" Read more of this review »
Jun 19, 2026 08:25AM · see review
Jenny Mattern rated a book it was amazing The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Another winner from the queen of middle grade Hawaiian fantasy! The Shark Prince takes a deep dive into a modern world where one of Nanaue’s (the Shark King from Hawaiian mythology) ancestors is a 13yo boy named Nohea. With tight plotting, immersive ...more
Jun 14, 2026 08:32PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jenny Mattern liked Nicole M. Hewitt's review of Where the Light Shines In: "A beautifully written story about identity and adoption and the desire to understand our origins. When Gloria sees a face in the newspaper that mirrors her own, she's convinced the woman is her birth mother, and she can't help but find out more. She " Read more of this review »
Jun 12, 2026 03:16PM · see review
Jenny Mattern entered a giveaway Love, Like Apples by Jeff Zentner (Goodreads Author) 20 copies available, ends on June 30, 2026 Enter to win »
Jun 02, 2026 05:22AM · like · see giveaway
Jenny Mattern is now following Jenny Mattern Author of Where the Light Shines In
May 20, 2026 12:04PM · like
Jenny Mattern rated a book it was amazing Space for Saffron by Rie Neal (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An engaging STEM story with a plucky main character and short, snappy chapters that are perfect for reluctant readers!
May 04, 2026 09:29AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Space for Saffron by Rie Neal. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Space for Saffron by Rie Neal <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jenny Mattern wants to read Now That We Don't Talk by Sylvia Liu (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2026 09:49AM · like