Jacksonville child, author of 'The Adventures of Moxie Girl' to open shop on Eastside

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Natalie McGriff, the 10-year-old author of "The Adventures of Moxie Girl," a story about a girl whose Afro puff has magical powers, will soon open a shop on the Eastside -- Natalie's Nook and Candy Shop.

This Jacksonville girl who co-authored a series of children’s books with her mother to empower girls of color, is now working to bring healthy food options to the Eastside.

Starting at the age of 7, Natalie began co-authoring the “The Adventures of Moxie Girl” comic book series with her mother, Angie Nixon.

“I didn’t like my hair and I didn’t like to read,” said the now 12-year-old Natalie. “I didn’t want other girls and boys to feel that same way. So, I wanted them to love themselves and feel empowered and not care what anybody else says about them.”

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Natalie and her mom are, putting the finishing touches on Natalie’s Nook, a smoothie and sandwich shop they’re opening along A. Phillip Randolph.

“The motivation was to bring healthy snacks and assortments of fruit and vegetables in our smoothies to our community,” she said.

Nixon explained why they chose the location along A. Phillip Randolph as the perfect home for “Natalie’s Nook.”

“Right now, we’re located in health zone one,” she said. “Which is one of the zones that has the highest health disparities in terms of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity”

The shop is scheluled to open in late Spetember.

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