Veteran Capitol Hill Reporter Tells All in a Children’s Mystery
Welcome To Washington Fina Mendoza
“Told with unerring accuracy, my son and I recognized the perfect descriptions of the Capitol Dome and Fina’s rich cultural traditions. Refreshing and unique, it is already a family favorite.” – U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez
“A fun read disguised as a book for grade schoolers, it gives keen insight into the everyday workings of the U. S. Capitol and its inhabitants.” – U.S. Congressman David Dreier, former Chair of the House Rules Committee
“This patriotic and nonpartisan whodunit is both timely and welcome!”– Gail Carson Levine, author of “Ella Enchanted”
Chesapeake Press is pleased to announce publication of a new edition of WELCOME TO WASHINGTON FINA MENDOZA, a middle grade mystery by award-winning public radio journalist Kitty Felde. Kitty turned half a dozen years of covering Capitol Hill into a wry tale with members of Congress painted as real people with real families as well as petty party differences, a sense of formality from another century, and even dogs who wander the hallways as if they were the ones elected last November.
Legend has it: anyone who sees the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill will be cursed with bad luck. 10-year-old Fina Mendoza just saw it. And the last thing her family needs right now is more bad luck. Fina just moved to Washington, D.C. to live fulltime with Papa, a congressman from California. She encounters a mysterious cat and disaster follows. 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 was inspired by a young woman Kitty mentored for many years. But are the politicos based on real people? “No comment,” Kitty says. “I was always more interested in the human side of politics, something that didn’t always fit into a news story. Telling the story of Fina allowed me to describe the real Capitol Hill.”
Award-winning public radio journalist and playwright Kitty Felde hosts the award-winning Book Club for Kids podcast – named one of the top 10 kidcasts in the world by The Times of London. She fell in love with literature for young readers when she was a young reader herself , working at her local public library. Kitty looked for the Demon Cat while covering Congress for public radio. She found the paw prints, but not the cat. Cover art by Imelda Hinojosa.
Copies of Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza are available at all major booksellers, including Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
Review copies available upon request