Legends say if you see the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill, you're cursed with bad luck. Ten-year-old Fina Mendoza just saw it and the last thing her family needs right now is a jinx! Fina and her older sister Gabby just moved to Washington, D.C. after the death of their mom to live with Papa, a congressman from California. But then she comes face-to-whiskers with a mysterious cat in the Capitol Crypt. Is it the Demon Cat? Disasters follow! Jars of pasta sauce explode. Fina's Abuelita breaks a leg, and Senator Something, an orange dog and her only friend in D.C., becomes the next target. Fina needs to save her family from future "cat"astrophe by solving the mystery of the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill. This award-winning mystery novel is also an introduction to civics for kids aged 7-12.

"A lively mystery with a touch of spookiness, an intriguing setting, an appealing family dynamic, and an enterprising Latina heroine." – KIRKUS REVIEWS Legend has it: anyone who sees the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill will be cursed with bad luck. Ten-year-old Fina Mendoza just saw it. And the last thing her family needs right now is more bad luck. Fina and her older sister Gabby just moved to Washington, D.C. after the death of their mother to live fulltime with Papa, a congressman from California. After Fina encounters a mysterious creature in the Capitol Crypt, a string of disasters follows. Jars of spaghetti sauce explode. Her beloved Abuelita breaks her leg. And Fina’ s only friend in Washington, a congressional dog named Senator Something, becomes the target. 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 gives us a backstage peek at life inside the U.S. Capitol - voting in Congress, the fight over amendments, and the beloved congressional dogs who come to work every day with their political owners. An introduction to civics for elementary age children. The West Wing meets Nancy Drew.

A mysterious bird poops on the president's head during the State of the Union address. The bird could be a Chickcharney, the legendary bird from the Caribbean, which may have come to Washington to deliver a secret message. Is it for the president? Or Congress? Or for Fina’s friend, a cashier at the Capitol snack bar? Or maybe it's a message for Fina 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. 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. "State of the Union" is an introduction to civics for elementary school readers. It's "The West Wing" meets Nancy Drew.

A mysterious bird poops on the president's head during the State of the Union address. The bird could be a Chickcharney, the legendary bird from the Caribbean, which may have come to Washington to deliver a secret message. Is it for the president? Or Congress? Or for Fina’s friend, a cashier at the Capitol snack bar? Or maybe it's a message for Fina 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. 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. "State of the Union" is an introduction to civics for elementary school readers. It's "The West Wing" meets Nancy Drew.