Naiyana Thues, a 2024 elementary education graduate of UNC Greensboro, has self-published her first children’s book. “Crowned in Magic” follows a young girl who discovers a special magic in each hairstyle she wears, before realizing her greatest power comes from within. It was written to help young readers see that confidence and self-worth do not come from changing who they are.
For Thues, who now teaches kindergarten at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy in Charlotte, that message resonates in the classroom, where she has seen students light up when they recognize themselves in the book’s pages.
“I wanted to create a story that teaches girls they never have to change themselves to be accepted,” she said. “Every version of them is worthy, beautiful, and powerful.”
Bringing the Book to Life
Thues, who liked to experiment with varying hairstyles as a child, recalled the self-confidence of an aunt who was a hairdresser, saying, “She will shave her head bald. She will have a short cut one day. She’ll have long, straight hair one day. She was so expressive with it. She didn’t let it define her. It didn’t ever affect her confidence.”
As an undergraduate student at UNCG, Thues began writing stories, including what would become “Crowned in Magic.” Earlier this year she was able to connect with an illustrator in Pakistan to create the imagery.
Opening the box that held the first copy of her book marked a culmination of a journey. Thues said, “I have the finished, complete product of my book, my creation. It is beautiful. My illustrator was able to capture what I had in my brain and put that on paper.”
An Educator’s Approach to Literature
As a teacher, Thues wanted to create a book that could be used in elementary classrooms. She intentionally chose to use sight words and repetition to make the sentences easier for young readers.
Fellow teachers have used her book in their classrooms as well. To encourage its use for teaching, Thues created an activity pack that includes worksheets geared toward children in kindergarten through third grade.
What Comes Next
Thues is not only a teacher, but a student. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in educational technology through an online program at Louisiana State University. She expects to graduate in May. Eventually, she would like to open a center for high school students in underprivileged areas that provides mentorship and guides them on life skills such as managing credit and finding the path toward a career that best fits them.
Thues, who spent time teaching internationally in Dubai before returning to North Carolina, wants to share the experiences of different cultures with young readers. She said, “I am working on (another book) right now with my illustrator. I’m really excited about it. It’s about travel, something that’s really near and dear to my heart.”
UNCG’s Influence
Spending her undergraduate career at UNCG helped to shape Thues and pave the path toward becoming an author.
“UNCG helped shape me,” she said. “ They put me in the field. They got me the experience I needed to soar right after I graduated.”
The book’s message of self-belief is something that Thues wants to share with students who are considering UNCG, saying, “The world is your oyster. Creativity cannot be limited. Never limit yourself no matter what others may say.”
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications; and courtesy of Naiyana Thues
