State of the Union: A Fina Mendoza Mystery, Hardcover

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?

That bird could be a Chickcharney, the legendary bird from the Caribbean, which has come to Washington to deliver a secret message. Is it for Congress? Or for Fina's friend, a cashier at the Capitol snack bar? Or maybe for Fina herself: a message from her mom who passed away not so many months ago.

Fina gets detecting help from a pair of congressional dogs as she searches for clues in the U.S. Capitol.

Fina's investigations take a personal turn when she must track down her grandmother, who has run away from home after a TV interview at an immigration protest outside the Capitol.

It's The West Wing meets Nancy Drew.

• The story mixes the mystery with a peek behind the scenes at the U.S. Capitol, including a congressional battle over immigration reform and a family battle when Fina's grandmother is nearly arrested at an immigration protest.

More than a good mystery, it introduces children to basic civics education.