Natalie McGriff spent last week in Washington, D.C., one of more than 5,000 women from across the country gathered for the inaugural United States of Women Summit, where she and her mother mixed with people like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, the award winning television producer Sondra Rhimes, and the star of Rhimes hit series "Scandal," Kerry Washington.

That's just the latest adventure for McGriff, a published author at the age of 8.

In February she was featured in online ads for Allstate Insurance Company's digital, social media and radio campaign "Worth Telling," which featured 10 African Americans during black history month.

All this stems from a book she co-wrote with her mother when she was 7.

"The Adventures of Moxie McGriff" tells the story of a superhero named Moxie McGriff who uses the fire and ice in her Afro puffs of hair to battle villains out to destroy the Jacksonville public library.

Writing the book was a way of boosting Natalie's self-esteem. She didn't like her hair, which someone on Facebook compared to a brillo pad. It was a problem that her mother, Angela Nixon, understood.

"I didn't want her to go through the same things I went through, not loving myself because I didn't look like the characters I watched on the television," Nixon said.

As part of the book project, Nixon insisted that Natalie, who disliked reading, must read to expand her vocabulary.

Mother and daughter spent about six months writing the book, which is illustrated by local artist Roosevelt Watson III. They took it to the One Spark festival in the spring of 2015 and won $16,423.69 from the Schultz Center for Teaching & Leadership. That enabled them to self-publish part one of "The Adventures of Moxie McGriff." They've since published part two.

Now they're planning another book. It will include a character, based on Natalie's cousin Kris, whose hearing aids have super powers. He and Moxie will battle monsters that are turning clean water dirty.

Meanwhile, out in Los Angeles, ShaRhonda 'Roni' Brown, who worked as a production coordinator on the Adult Swim animated series "Black Dynamite," is making an animated version of "The Adventures of Moxie McGriff."

Writing the books has had the effect on Natalie her mom hoped it would.

She likes her hair now, which she calls "fluffy."

She also likes reading now, citing books by Judy Blume and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" as favorites.

And she's given some thought to her future. She'd like to be vice president of the United States. Why not president?

"To me that would be too much work," she said.

To purchase copies of the book and other Moxie McGriff merchandize, go to moxiemcgriff.com.

Charlie Patton: (904) 359-4413