S2; EPISODE 4 - State of the Union Speeches and other Squawking
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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 Minority Leader gives a party. Kitty Felde is writer producer. In Episode 4, after the President delivers his State of the Union speech to Congress, Papa delivers the rebuttal in Spanish. What is the...
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S2; EPISODE 3 - Pigeon Peas and Sewing Lessons
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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 cost to run for Congress? Click to read more about the House Chaplain in our Facts Behind the Fiction blog. Season 2 of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast is based on the book State of the...
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S2; EPISODE 2 - Senator Something Joins the Hunt
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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 with that statue of Ronald Reagan. He was the president who signed into law IRCA, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 - the last time Congress passed major immigration reform. “It’s...
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STATE OF THE UNION Episode 1:The Bird with the Lizard Tail
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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, long legs, and a skinny, curly tail." The tail of a lizard. Do Chickcharney's actually exist? Click to read more about Chickcharney in our Facts Behind the Fiction blog. The Fina Mendoza Mysteries...
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Fina Mendoza Goes to the State of the Union Address
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
On Thursday night, March 7th, members of Congress from the House and Senate will hear a speech from President Biden 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 lawmakers and Supreme Court Justices and the cabinet? In this special bonus episode of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, we take you to the State of the Union address where a mysterious bird disrupts the...
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Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th - Part Two
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th - Part One
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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A Fina Mendoza Mysteries Christmas
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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 . The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast is based on the books Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza and State of the Union, by , published by . Want the Facts Behind the Fiction in The Fina Mendoza Mysteries?...
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Thanksgiving 2023
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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: Amy Solano - Fina Mendoza Monica Vigil - Gabby Raul Garza - Papa Christine Avila - Abuelita Imelda Hinojosa - Tia Catalina Rachel Desztich - Tia Margarita ...
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Celebrating Dia de los Muertos
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries
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 for this episode. You'll find more eductional materials on our at the website. The Fina Mendoza Mysteries are based on the novels WELCOME TO WASHINGTON FINA MENDOZA and STATE OF THE UNION, written by Kitty Felde.
info_outlineIt's the return of Fina Mendoza!
To celebrate the re-release of the book that inspired the podcast: Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza (Chesapeake Press) in English AND Spanish, listen to how it all began. Here's a hint of what's to come.
Bad luck seems to haunt the Mendoza family. Fina is convinced that the mythical Demon Cat of Capitol Hill is to blame. Fina starts detecting and discovers an important clue.
Writer/Producer - Kitty Felde
Our cast includes:
Amy Solano - Fina Mendoza
Monica Vigil - Gabby
Raul Garza - Papa
Susan Valot - Ms. Greenwood
Linda Graves - Claudia
India Scaglione - Becka
William Beemer - Michael
Susan Valot - Ms. Greenwood
Steve Gamber - John the Staffer
Steve DeVorkin - Senator Something
Associate Producer - Hannah Matzecki
Associate Sound Designer - Hunter Felde
Music Composed and Performed - Andrew Barkan
Logo Designer - Imelda Hinojosa
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast is based on the award-winning book series. You can purchase an autographed copy of Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza or the Spanish language version Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza from our friends at Village Well Books & Coffee by clicking HERE.
Sign up for the Facts Behind the Fiction newsletter and get the free teacher's guide to Fina Mendoza at the website chesapeakepress.org.