Additional information
by Kitty Felde (Author), Jorge Flores González (Translator)
Un misterio lleno de vida y diversidad, con una trama amena e informativa y una joven protagonista con la que uno se puede identificar. --Kirkus Reviews
La hija de 10 años de un congresista resuelve misterios en el Capitolio de los Estados Unidos con la ayuda de un enorme perro anaranjado llamado Senador Algo... y le enseña civismo a los niños. El último caso de Fina: encontrar a la misteriosa ave que defecó en la cabeza del presidente durante un Discurso del Estado de la Unión. The West Wing conoce a Nancy Drew.---- ENGLISH BOOK DESCRIPTION ----
A lively, diverse mystery with enjoyable, informative plotting and a relatable young female protagonist. --KIRKUS REVIEWS
Fina Mendoza is the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves mysteries in the U.S. Capitol with the help of a big orange dog named Senator Something. Her latest case: find the mysterious bird that pooped on the president's head during the State of the Union address. Is it Chickcharney, the legendary bird from the Caribbean? Did it fly to Washington D.C. with a secret message for the president? Or Congress? Or is the message for Fina from her mom who passed away not so many months ago? While Fina searches for clues, readers are introduced to the inner workings of American democracy, including a congressional battle over immigration reform. There's another battle in her multigenerational home when Fina's grandmother is nearly arrested at an immigration protest.Also available in Spanish! Look for Estado de la Unión by Kitty Felde, translated by Jorge Flores González.
A great series for CIVICS EDUCATION
Teachers, Librarians, and Homeschoolers, the Fina Mendoza Mysteries Series of Books and Podcasts provide a multidisciplinary approach to civics education for elementary school readers. As our amateur detective learns about the U.S. legislative branch, the electoral process, and civic engagement - and solves mysteries on Capitol Hill after school - your students learn through the series' multimedia sources. THE WEST WING meets NANCY DREWFREE DOWNLOADABLE CURRICULUM AVAILABLE:
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Build reading skills while teaching integrated lessons in:
- ELA, social studies, and history designed for grades 3-5 Common Core Standards
- NCSS curriculum standards, C3 Social Studies Readiness
- California Public Schools' History-Social Science content standards.
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Promote deeper learning through:
- active engagement
- reading comprehension
- content knowledge
- creative and analytical thinking
- Designed for use by elementary school teachers, parents, homeschoolers, scout leaders, and community educators.
INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS AND MULTIMEDIA SOURCES:
- Helps address students' diverse learning needs and supports the use of technology in the classroom.
- The Fina Mendoza Mysteries FREE podcast is based on the books and current events.
- The "Facts Behind the Fiction" blog and newsletter offer historical and civics context for both the books and podcast.
Introduce civics to your students with The Fina Mendoza Mysteries series!
THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES SERIES:Book 1 - Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza
Book 2 - State of the Union: A Fina Mendoza Mystery
Book 3 - Snake in the Grass (coming Spring 2025) Novella - Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th Podcast - The Fina Mendoza Mysteries ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH:
Libro 1 - Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza
Libro 2 - Estado de la Unión: Un Misterio de Fina Mendoza
Libro 3 - Serpiente en la Hierba (Otoño 2025)
For fans of The Secret Lake, Greenglass House, and "The Mysterious Benedict Society" and "National Park Mystery Series" as well as classic books and detective series like The Westing Game, Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, The Virginia Mysteries, and Hardy Boys.
Author Biography
Award-winning public radio journalist, writer, and TEDx speaker KITTY FELDE hosts the BOOKCLUB FOR KIDS podcast named by "The Times" of London as one of the top 10 kidcasts in the world, with more than 2M downloads. The Los Angeles native created the Washington bureau for Southern California NPR, explaining how government works to grownups, and hosted a daily talk show in L.A. for nearly a decade. Now, she explains it to kids in a series of mystery novels and podcasts called THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES and writes the companion blog FACTS BEHIND THE FICTION for the Chesapeake Press' website.
