FINA’S LATEST ADVENTURE!
She’s back in LA!
Break-ins, vandalism, fires — neighbors blame a homeless man they call the Bear. Everyone except 11-year-old detective Fina Mendoza. Solving this mystery will take bravery she didn't know she had.
Sometimes it takes a child detective to see what the adults don’t and save the day. A sweet story rooted in relevant social issues. Kirkus Reviews
Also available from Follett, Mackin, Brodart. Bulk sales available from IPG.
A great choice for summer reading as America turns 250, with civics education woven into the storyline. Ideal for social studies units on local government. Free downloadable teacher's guide (grades 3–5), newsletter/blog, and podcast available.
Praise for Fina:
Sometimes it takes a child detective to see what the adults don’t and save the day.
This August will be Fina Mendoza’s 11th birthday, and she’ll get to celebrate it back home: She, her widowed congressman dad, and her teenage sister, Gabby, are returning to California to spend the summer with their close-knit Latine-presenting family. Having lived in Washington, D.C., for almost a year, Fina doesn’t feel as comfortable back in Los Angeles as she’d expected. Her best friend is busy, her old neighborhood looks different, and her dad is still on the job even though Congress is on recess. When a mystery presents itself, Fina practices the detective techniques she perfected back in D.C. with the help of Senator Something, her best dog friend, whom she walks after school for Congresswoman Mitchell. Her investigations, which center on a man the angry, resentful neighbors call “the Bear” who lives in a “beat-up old camper van,” help Fina find a new role in her old community. Fina’s willingness to ask questions and reflect on real-world situations adds weight to an otherwise light mystery. This fourth entry in a series that references civics and the inner workings of Congress touches on themes of gentrification, unhoused people, public policy, and the plight of veterans in ways that are accessible to middle-grade readers.
A sweet story rooted in relevant social issues.
Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis:
The West Wing meets Nancy Drew - this time at City Hall.
The Mendoza family is back in Los Angeles for the summer where Fina’s congressman father is campaigning for reelection. They reunite with the extended Mendoza family and share food, laughter, and traditions that are both comforting and familiar. Fina is reunited with her best friend Trina, but finds her old neighborhood has changed: new mansions, modern upgrades, and a homeless man neighbors call "the Bear." When a brush fire breaks out during Fourth of July fireworks, the community is filled with fear and suspicion. Neighbors point the finger at “the Bear.” But Fina Mendoza suspects there’s a deeper mystery to uncover. She gathers her courage and investigates “the Bear,” discovering that he’s a painter and a military veteran. But is he also the vandal? Time is running out as her aunts and grandmother join neighbors pressuring City Hall to get rid of the homeless man. Fina suspects the real troublemaker is one with paws and claws.
This heartwarming whodunit is about family, belonging, challenging stereotypes to fight for justice, and the power of one brave Latina girl to find a “home” for everyone.
A wonderful story very accurately portraying the life of a congressional family. — Former Congressman John Campbell (R)
Fina Mendoza’s newest story about bravery, extending a helping hand, and the power of acceptance reminds her readers, children and adults alike, that even when life seems bleak, we are rarely alone. — Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D)
This fast paced adventure about challenging assumptions and speaking truth to power will appeal to any young reader who cares about their world and wants to make a difference. I wish I had Fina Mendoza on my staff in the White House! — Sean O’Brien, former White House speechwriter and author of the White House Clubhouse series
Resourceful investigator Fina Mendoza is back in Los Angeles for the summer where new mysteries are wrapped around portraits of Fina’s big, loving family. Gentrification has reached Fina’s Montecito Heights neighborhood as well as homelessness. Felde deftly covers the realities of local politics and neighborhood activism as Fina’s adventures continue with long-distance advice from Senator Something (who’s really a dog). Felde blends an Angeleno’s sense of place with another well-told story that engages and informs. — D. J. Waldie, author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir