State of the Union, Paperback

It's The West Wing meets Nancy Drew.

A mysterious bird poops on the head of the president during the State of the Union address. Can Fina Mendoza, the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman, outsmart the Capitol police and the Secret Service to find that bird and uncover its secret message?

Fina is asked to investigate the appearance of Chickcharney, a mythical bird from the Caribbean that may have a message for Fina's client who works in the basement snack bar of the U.S. Capitol. The bird may or may not have a message for her client. Fina hopes it has a message for her from her recently departed mother. And maybe the bird has a message for Congress. Fina is assisted by her trusty canine companion Senator Something, a big orange dog Fina walks for the dog's owner, a member of Congress. Fina is assisted in her investigation by her trusty canine companion Senator Something, a big orange dog who belongs to a member of Congress.

This Capitol Hill mystery gives us a peek behind the scenes at the U.S. Capitol where there's a congressional battle over immigration reform, and a family battle when Fina's immigrant grandmother is nearly arrested at a Capitol Hill protest.