Snake in the Grass

A great book and series for CIVICS EDUCATION

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

Fina Mendoza is the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves mysteries in the U.S. Capitol with the help of a big orange dog named Senator Something.

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FINA'S LATEST CASE: 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 in the other political party is punished. Now somebody's putting snakes in lawmaker gym bags and trash cans. It's up to Fina and Senator Something to find the real snake in the grass.

TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, and HOMESCHOOLERS: The Fina Mendoza Mysteries series of books, podcasts, teacher's guides, and "Facts Behind the Fiction" blog/newsletter provide a multidisciplinary approach to civics education for elementary school readers. As our amateur detective solves mysteries on Capitol Hill, Fina learns about American democracy, the electoral process and legislative branch along with your students. Take them deeper into Common Core knowledge with standards-based instruction through the series' multimedia sources!

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This third book in the series is more than a mystery story!

It's THE WEST WING meets NANCY DREW.

Available soon in Spanish! Look for Serpiente en la Hierba by Kitty Felde, translated by Jorge Flores González.

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FREE DOWNLOADABLE TEACHER'S GUIDE AVAILABLE:

—Build reading skills while teaching integrated lessons in:



- 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.

 

—Promote deeper learning through:



- active engagement

- reading comprehension

- content knowledge

- creative and analytical thinking

 

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

INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS & FREE MULTIMEDIA SOURCES:



- Helps address students' diverse learning needs.

- Supports the use of technology in the classroom.

- Dramatic podcast based on the books and current events.

- Facts Behind the Fiction blog and newsletter offer historical and civics context for the books and podcast.

 

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

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 (coming Spring 2026)



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



Podcast — The Fina Mendoza Mysteries

ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH:



Libro 1 — Bienvenidos a Washington de Fina Mendoza



Libro 2 — Estado de la Unión: Un misterio de Fina Mendoza



Libro 3 — Serpiente en la hierba (Otoño de 2025)



Libro 4 — La casa de los valientes (Otoño de 2026)

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For fans of:



The Secret Lake



Greenglass House



The Mysterious Benedict Society



National Park Mystery Series

And classic books and detective series like:



The Westing Game



The Boxcar Children



Encyclopedia Brown



The Virginia Mysteries



Hardy Boys