Home of the Brave

Overview

Break-ins, vandalism, fires — everyone blames a homeless man they call the Bear. Everyone except 11-year-old detective Fina Mendoza. Solving this mystery will take bravery she didn't know she had.

Fina and her sister Gabby are back in Los Angeles for the summer. While their congressman father campaigns for reelection, they reunite with their large, close-knit Mexican American family to share the food and traditions that make the city feel like home. But when Fina reconnects with her best friend, she discovers something rotten in her old neighborhood. Amid the new megamansions and an explosion of electric cars, she sees a battered old RV and a scary-looking man neighbors call "The Bear."

A brush fire ignites during July 4th fireworks and fear and suspicion sweep through the community. Neighbors are quick to point fingers at The Bear, but the curious detective taps her inside-the-Beltway experience to uncover a deeper mystery involving strange paintings, a military veteran, and urban wildlife.

With her own aunts and grandmother pressuring City Hall to take action, time is running out for the homeless man. Fina looks for the facts and suspects the real troublemaker might have paws and claws. She investigates with courage and compassion, standing up for a vulnerable veteran in a gentrifying neighborhood.

This heartwarming whodunit explores family, belonging, and the power of one brave girl to challenge stereotypes and find a "home" for everyone.

"A SWEET STORY ROOTED IN RELEVANT SOCIAL ISSUES." —Kirkus Reviews

The West Wing meets Nancy Drew — this time, at City Hall.
Ideal for social studies units on local government as America turns 250.

Also available in Spanish in January, 2027! Look for: Hogar de los Valientes 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!

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For fans of:
The Secret Lake
Greenglass House
The Mysterious Benedict Society
National Park Mystery Series
White House Clubhouse Series

Reviews

"This fourth entry in a series that references civics and the inner workings of Congress touches on themes of gentrification, unhoused people, public policy, and the plight of veterans in ways that are accessible to middle-grade readers." —Kirkus Reviews

"Sometimes it takes a child detective to see what the adults don't and save the day. This fourth entry in a series that references civics and the inner workings of Congress touches on themes of gentrification, unhoused people, public policy, and the plight of veterans in ways that are accessible to middle-grade readers. A sweet story rooted in relevant social issues."
— KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A wonderful story very accurately portraying the life of a congressional family."
— FORMER CONGRESSMAN JOHN CAMPBELL (R)

"Fina Mendoza's newest story about bravery, extending a helping hand, and the power of acceptance reminds her readers, children and adults alike, that even when life seems bleak, we are rarely alone." 
— CONGRESSWOMAN ZOE LOFGREN (D)

"I loved the courage and brilliance of the kids in Home of the Brave! This fast paced adventure about challenging assumptions and speaking truth to power will appeal to any young reader who cares about their world and wants to make a difference. I wish I had Fina Mendoza on my staff in the White House!"
— SEAN O'BRIEN, former White House speechwriter and author of the White House Clubhouse series

"Resourceful investigator Fina Mendoza is back in Los Angeles for the summer where new mysteries are wrapped around portraits of Fina's big, loving family. Gentrification has reached Fina's Montecito Heights neighborhood as well as homelessness. Felde deftly covers the realities of local politics and neighborhood activism as Fina's adventures continue with long-distance advice from Senator Something (who's really a dog). Felde blends an Angeleno's sense of place with another well-told story that engages and informs."
— D. J. WALDIE, author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir

Author Biography

Award-winning writer and public radio journalist Kitty Felde covered Capitol Hill for nearly a decade, explaining government to grownups. Now, she explains it to kids in a series of mystery novels and podcasts set inside the U.S. Capitol called The Fina Mendoza Mysteries. She also writes the companion newsletter and blog, Facts Behind the Fiction, available for free on the Chesapeake Press website (www.chesapeakepress.org).

Her Fina Mendoza titles have been named a Teacher Favorite by the Children's Book Council and honored by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) with the Spark Award. And Kitty's Spanish editions of Los Misterios de Fina Mendoza have all won International Latino Book Awards.

The native Angeleno created the Washington bureau for Southern California Public Radio (now LAist), and has reported on everything from war crimes trials to OJ Simpson to baseball, and hosted a daily talk show in Los Angeles. She was named Los Angeles Radio Journalist of the Year three times in three years by the Society of Professional Journalists and the L.A. Press Club.

Kitty also hosts the Book Club for Kids podcast. With more than 2 million downloads, the show has been named one of the top 10 kidcasts in the world by The Times of London. She has a remarkable talent for talking to kids and has shared her super power in a TEDx talk.

Find Kitty at www.kittyfelde.com and @kittyfelde