Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza

"A lively mystery with a touch of spookiness, an intriguing setting, an appealing family dynamic, and an enterprising Latina heroine." – KIRKUS REVIEWS
Legend has it: anyone who sees the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill will be cursed with bad luck.


Ten-year-old Fina Mendoza just saw it. And the last thing her family needs right now is more bad luck. Fina and her older sister Gabby just moved to Washington, D.C. after the death of their mother to live fulltime with Papa, a congressman from California. After Fina encounters a mysterious creature in the Capitol Crypt, a string of disasters follows. Jars of spaghetti sauce explode. Her beloved Abuelita breaks her leg. And Fina’ s only friend in Washington, a congressional dog named Senator Something, becomes the target.

The only way for Fina to save her family from future “ cat” astrophe is to solve the mystery of the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill.

Fina gives us a backstage peek at life inside the U.S. Capitol - voting in Congress, the fight over amendments, and the beloved congressional dogs who come to work every day with their political owners. An introduction to civics for elementary age children.


The West Wing meets Nancy Drew.