Last year, Natalie McGriff hated her hair.
She didn’t like her afro puffs, the way they tangled when she tried to brush them.
As a solution, she helped write a book.
"She didn’t see anybody that looked like her," said Angie Nixon, Natalie’s mother and co-author. She said she pitched the idea to help her daughter feel more confident and foster a love of reading.
Monday night at First Presbyterian Church, Natalie read the whole story of "The Adventures of Moxie McGriff" to an audience of about 20 people before donating and signing copies. It was the latest stop in a book tour that included cities in Florida and, this past weekend, Washington, D.C.
"I’m a proud mommy," Nixon said. "Those are her words coming from her mouth, so that’s awesome."
The 34-page book follows Natalie as she talks about hating her hair and wishing for straight, Rapunzel-like locks. But things change after she receives "Moxie" brand shampoo and conditioner from her godmother. When her class goes to visit the library and monsters attack, eating all the books, her afro puffs begin to glow red and blue. She runs off the bus to confront the monsters when the book ends.
The mother-daughter writing team plan to finish part two by Black Friday.
"We would sit down at her bed at night and just bounce ideas," Nixon said of the writing process. "It’s been a whirlwind ever since."
In April, Natalie and her mother entered the book into a crowd-funding contest, One Spark, where they won first place and $16,000. The $16,000 was used to pay an illustrator and publish the book.
Nixon and her daughter stopped at the church because Nixon, a UF alumna, used to volunteer there.
For Natalie King, the director of a tutoring program at the church, the book was an inspiration for the students she works with and her son, Antonio, who hopes to be an author.
"It kind of struck a nerve," King said.
The younger members of the audience were also encouraged by Natalie’s success and the story’s message.
"I really think it’s inspiring for little girls," said Jonia Stover, an 11-year-old sixth grader from Howard W. Bishop Middle School, whose hair mirrors Natalie’s.
After the book reading and signing, Natalie said she felt happy.
"I like people reading my story," she said. "It should help them to read and like their hair — and themselves."
Eight-year-old Natalie McGriff, author of "The Adventures of Moxie McGriff," reads the comic book to an audience of about 20 people with her mother, Angie Nixon, on Sept. 28, 2015, at First Presbyterian Church. Nixon encouraged her daughter to write a superhero story about herself to raise her self-esteem and teach her a love of reading.
Natalie McGriff signs copies of her book "The Adventures of Moxie McGriff" on Sept. 28, 2015, at First Presbyterian Church. The signing was part of a book tour including stops in Atlanta and Washington D.C.
