The Fina Mendoza Mysteries

Fina Mendoza, the 10-year-old detective who lives on Capitol Hill, is stuck at home with her older sister Gabby and her father, a U.S. Congessman. Fina's class assignment is to keep an audio diary as a primary source for future historians, recording what it was like to live through the coronavirus pandemic. Fina checks in by phone with her favorite dog Senator Something and solves the mystery of t...

On Tuesday night, February 24th, members of Congress from the House and Senate will hear a speech from President Trump about the  State of the Union . Our Founding Fathers thought the annual speech to Congress was so important, they put it in the Constitution. But what IS the State of the Union address? And what's it like to be inside the U.S. Capitol, sitting in the House Gallery, above the lawma...

It's the fifth anniversary of an attack on the US Capitol by angry voters. As facts become fiction, we are using fiction to share the facts of that January 6th day by viewing events of the day through the eyes of view of the 10-year-old daughter of a member of Congress who was on the House Floor that day. It's designed to help adults talk to children about January 6th. It's based on the Fina Mendo...

It's the fifth anniversary of an attack on the US Capitol by angry voters. As facts become fiction, we are using fiction to share the facts of that January 6th day by viewing events of the day through the eyes of view of the 10-year-old daughter of a member of Congress who was on the House Floor that day. It's designed to help adults talk to children about January 6th. It's based on the Fina Mendo...

We celebrate Thanksgiving with Fina and the Mendoza family as they leave Washington to visit relatives in Los Angeles.  Fina worries that the curse of the Demon Cat will follow them to California.  The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysterious animals in the U.S. Capitol. Writer/Producer - Kitty Felde Our cast includes:   Am...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysterious animals in the U.S. Capitol. It's Christmas in Washington, a time to remember family traditions and Capitol Hill traditions. Fina and her sister get a very special opportunity to light the Capitol Christmas Tree. Find out more about the cast at the website . The Fina Mendoza Myst...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol...and teaching civics along the way. Join the Mendoza family as they celebrate not only Halloween, but also Dia de los Muertos.  Here's a link to the FREE curriculum for this episode. You'll find more eductional materials on our Facts Behind the Fiction blog at...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysterious animals in the U.S. Capitol. In Episode 18, all of Washington is talking about the capture of the Burrowing Owl that pooped on the president during the State of the Union address. But not about Fina. Papa's political fundraiser with LA food trucks seems to be a huge success. And...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysterious animals in the U.S. Capitol. In Episode 17, Fina and her loyal canine companion Senator Something track down Chickcharney in one of the U.S. Capitol's  parking garages. But will Fina learn the bird's secret message? Want to know the Facts Behind the Fiction in this episode? This...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysterious animals in the U.S. Capitol. In Episode 16, Fina's investigation takes her to the National Zoo where she finds out more about the Burrowing Owls. But Fina's client Monica suffers a major setback. Want to know the Facts Behind the Fiction in this episode? This week, we explain Con...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina uses her detecting skills to help her father find her grandmother who has run away from home. Their search takes them to a church basement kitchen.  Want to know more about the Facts Behind the Fiction? This week, our blog takes a look at a C ongressional...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina discovers some important clues about the mysterious bird that pooped on the president. Her teacher helps her solve some difficult math problems. And Fina tries to solve the mysteries of dogs. The Fina Mendoza Mysteries are written and produced by Kitty Fe...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina's father and grandmother have an enormous fight with serious consequences. And there's nothing Fina can do about it. In Episode 13, Congressman Arturo Mendoza scolds his mother for participating in an immigration protest at the U.S. Capitol - and then goi...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina's grandmother takes her to a meeting where an immigration reform protest is being organized. Abuelita's activism results in a major dispute with her son, Congressman Arturo Mendoza after she's nearly arrested outside the U.S. Capitol. Protests outside the...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina is on the hunt for Chickcharney in the basement of the U.S. Capitol, but the hunt leads to some serious consequences. In Episode 11 of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast, Fina is  wandering around the tunnel that connects the U.S. Capitol with the House o...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. The Mendoza family finally find a church that feels like home. And Abuelita finds a new community of activists. And Gabby gets her phone back. Meanwhile, Fina is not happy with her new detecting partner St. Sebastian. He's a bird dog and easily distracted. But...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina enlists the help of an expert as she continues the search for the bird that pooped on the President: a bird dog. Meanwhile, Gabby's in the doghouse for posting selfies on Instagram. In episode 9 of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, Fina and her family spot a fa...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. All of Washington is shut down for the storm of the century. Meanwhile, Californians Fina and her sister Gabby learn the joys...and the downsides of snow. In Episode 8 of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, Fina asks: Is there anything in the paper about the bird that...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina continues her investigation into finding the bird that pooped on the President. And she gets a new client: the dog that belongs to the House Chaplain. Meanwhile, Washington DC and the Mendoza family prepare for a blizzard. In Episode 7, Fina's sister Gabb...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina is still on the hunt for the bird that pooped on the President. Fina's father was just named to a bipartisan group of lawmakers to come up with an immigration bill. Unfortunately, Senator Something wasn't invited, but he manages to disrupt the press confe...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. All of Washington is on the hunt for the bird that pooped on the President - including Fina Mendoza. Social media is having a field day. There's even a hashtag: PoopOnPOTUS.  In episode 5 of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast, everyone assumes the bird that po...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. A mysterious bird poops on the president's head during the State of the Union address and Fina and her grandmother are up in the House Gallery, watching when it happens. Papa gives the State of the Union rebuttal speech about immigration reform. The House Mino...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina decides to take the case of the mysterious Chickcharney... maybe it has a secret message for her! In Episode 3, Papa proposes an idea for a fundraiser for his re-election campaign. "It takes a lot of money to run for Congress," he says.  How much does it...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina's grandmother finally arrives in Washington, but she seems more excited about seeing a statue of her hero: Ronald Reagan. Meanwhile, Fina enlists the talents of her detecting partner, a big orange dog named Senator Something. Abuelita wants is a picture w...

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries follow the adventures of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, investigating mysteries in the U.S. Capitol. Fina has a new case: find the mysterious Chickcharney, a mythical bird from the Caribbean, for her friend Monica who works in the snack bar. Monica describes Chickcharney as a bird from the island of Andros in the Bahamas that has a "round face, a sharp beak,...