Snake in the Grass

Ahead of the Congressional baseball game, somebody's planting snakes in gym bags of lawmakers who dare to cross party lines. It's up to Fina and her canine detective partner to find the real snake in the grass.

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Winner! 2026 Children's Book Council Teacher Favorite Award
Winner! 2026 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators SPARK Award

Pairing the allure of Washington, DC, with an animal misadventure, Snake in the Grass is a robust series mystery novel. —FOREWORD REVIEWS

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Everybody's mad at everybody else on Capitol Hill. Members call each other names on the floor of the House of Representatives. And anybody who dares to work with someone from the other political party is punished.

And now, at practice for the annual Congressional Charity Baseball Game, a lawmaker is bit by a snake somebody planted in his gym bag.

Fina and her canine partner Senator Something launch their most politically charged investigation yet. In a place where bipartisanship is practically a curse word, finding the real snake in the grass means navigating the most dangerous territory of all: grownup politics.

Along the way, Fina gives readers an insider's look at how Congress really works, including the pressure to vote with your party, the courage it takes to cross the political aisle, and what it actually means to represent the people back home. As our amateur detective solves mysteries on Capitol Hill, young readers learn about American democracy with an emphasis on the legislative process. And in this the third book of the Fina Mendoza Mysteries series, there's a glimpse behind the scenes of the annual Congressional Charity Baseball Game.

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This two-time award-winning novel is more than a mystery story:
It's THE WEST WING meets NANCY DREW.

Also available in Spanish! Look for Serpiente en el Césped by Kitty Felde, translated by Jorge Flores González.

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Introduce civics to your students with "The Fina Mendoza Mysteries" series!

Build reading skills while teaching integrated lessons:

– ELA, social studies, and history designed for grades 3-5 Common Core Standards

– NCSS curriculum standards, C3 Social Studies Readiness

– California Public Schools' History-Social Science content standards

– Designed for elementary school teachers, librarians, parents, homeschoolers, scout leaders, and other community educators.

Help address students' diverse learning needs:

– FREE downloadable Teachers Guide

– Dramatic podcast based on the books and current events

– Facts Behind the Fiction newsletter/blog with ongoing historical and civics context for the series

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THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES SERIES:

Book 1 – Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza

Book 2 – State of the Union: A Fina Mendoza Mystery

Book 3 – Snake in the Grass

Book 4 – Home of the Brave

Book 5 – Let Kids Vote!

Novella – Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th

Podcast – The Fina Mendoza Mysteries

Newsletter & Blog – Facts Behind the Fiction

ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH:

Libro 1 – Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza

Libro 2 – Estado de la Unión

Libro 3 – Serpiente en el Césped

Libro 4 – Hogar de los Valientes

Libro 5 – ¡Dejen a los Niños Votar!