Kids Listen Activity Podcast: The Fina Mendoza Mysteries - Losing is Democratic Part One

Kids Listen Activity Podcast: The Fina Mendoza Mysteries - Losing is Democratic Part One

Author: Tal Kelly March 17, 2021 Duration: 16:18
Fina Mendoza, the ten-year-old daughter of a congressman from California, solves mysteries on Capitol Hill. Fina has a new mystery on her hands. Her entire fourth grade is competing with fifth graders in a reading competition to see who can read the most pages. The prize: free pizza. Unfortunately, her class loses the contest. But pizza mysteriously appears anyway at the front door of all the fourth graders. How did that happen?

Meanwhile, Fina's father and the parents of nearly everybody else in her class is working in the U.S. Capitol on January 6th to certify the election results. News of the insurrection reaches Fina and her classmates in the middle of a geography lesson. Fina's father, Congressman Arturo Mendoza, arrives home safe and sound and tries to explain why people were angry, comparing it to the anger Fina herself felt when her beloved Dodgers discovered that the Houston Astros were cheating by stealing pitching signs.

In class the next day, students discuss the events of January 6th and also the mysterious pizza delivery. They talk about the role of losing in a democracy, how John Adams was angry that he lost his election, and how he stayed angry for many years with the man who won, Thomas Jefferson.

Fina solves the pizza mystery with the help of her clarinet-playing sister Gabby and the congressional dog she walks named Senator Something. Fina also suggests that 4th graders can be gracious losers by writing letters to the 5th grade, the way Adams and Jefferson did, becoming perhaps not friends, but at least opening a door to reconciliation.


Ever find yourself searching for the right words when a child is grappling with a huge feeling? Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings offers a gentle, creative space for those conversations. Curated by Tal Kelly, this limited series brings together favorite voices from the Kids Listen network for a unique audio experience. Instead of lectures, each episode is a crafted mashup, weaving together original story clips and thoughtful reflections around a pair of connected emotions. The idea is to give shape and sound to the internal world, helping young listeners identify what's swirling inside them-whether it's the tight coil of fear or the warm swell of bravery. For instance, one installment hosted by Eric O'Keefe of What If World explores exactly that pairing, using imaginative storytelling to frame these feelings as part of a shared human adventure. It’s designed for kids to engage with directly, but parents and caregivers will likely find it just as useful, picking up language and perspectives to support emotional growth. This seven-part podcast unfolds with new episodes released on Tuesdays and Thursdays, making it an easy, regular touchpoint for families. By presenting feelings not as problems to solve but as territories to explore, this series becomes a valuable tool for building empathy and self-awareness, one heartfelt mashup at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings
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