by Kitty Felde (Author)

"A lively, diverse mystery with enjoyable, informative plotting and a relatable young female protagonist." - KIRKUS REVIEWS Fina Mendoza, the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, solves mysteries inside the U.S. Capitol with help from a big orange dog named Senator Something. Fina's 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? As Fina searches for clues, readers get a glimpse behind the scenes of American democracy, including a Congressional battle over immigration reform. There's another battle in her multigenerational home when Fina's grandmother Abuelita is nearly arrested at an immigration protest. Can Fina find Chickcharney and discover its secret message? The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, enhanced by supplemental materials and curriculum, provide a multidisciplinary introduction to civics education for elementary school readers. "The West Wing" meets Nancy Drew.

Author Biography

Award-winning public radio journalist, writer, and TEDx speaker Kitty Felde hosts the "Book Club for Kids" podcast, named by The Times of London as one of the top 10 kidcasts in the world. The Los Angeles native created the Washington bureau for Southern California Public Radio and covered Capitol Hill for nearly a decade, explaining how government works to grownups. Now she explains it to kids in a series of mystery novels and podcasts called "The Fina Mendoza Mysteries". Kitty was named LA Radio Journalist of the Year three times by the LA Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists.