Estado de la Unión

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 DREW FREE DOWNLOADABLE CURRICULUM AVAILABLE:

INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS AND MULTIMEDIA SOURCES:

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.

Award-winning writer and public radio journalist Kitty Felde covered Capitol Hill for nearly a decade, explaining government to grownups. Now, she explains it to kids in a series of mystery novels and podcasts set inside the U.S. Capitol called The Fina Mendoza Mysteries. She also writes the companion newsletter and blog, Facts Behind the Fiction, available for free on the Chesapeake Press website (www.chesapeakepress.org). Her Fina Mendoza titles have been named a Teacher Favorite by the Children's Book Council and honored by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) with the Spark Award. And Kitty's Spanish editions of Los Misterios de Fina Mendoza have all won International Latino Book Awards. The native Angeleno created the Washington bureau for Southern California Public Radio (now LAist), and has reported on everything from war crimes trials to OJ Simpson to baseball, and hosted a daily talk show in Los Angeles. She was named Los Angeles Radio Journalist of the Year three times in three years by the Society of Professional Journalists and the L.A. Press Club. Kitty also hosts the Book Club for Kids podcast. With more than 2 million downloads, the show has been named one of the top 10 kidcasts in the world by The Times of London. She has a remarkable talent for talking to kids and has shared her super power in a TEDx talk.