The Why Behind The Stories

How one teacher changed my life—and why I’m determined to change the lives of children through literacy, representation, and advocacy.

People often ask me why I decided to become a children’s author.

The answer is simple.

My story started long before I ever wrote Alani’s Magical Hair Adventure.

It started with a little girl who was struggling to read, a mom who refused to give up on her, and a teacher who saw potential in me before I could see it in myself.

This is my “why.”

Lesson One

A Little Girl Who Was Falling Behind

When I was in the fourth grade, I had already lived in three different states, five different cities, and attended three different schools.

I was testing at a first-grade reading level, and the school was considering holding me back.

To say that devastated my mom would be an understatement.

She was a newly single mom trying to navigate a difficult divorce, and I’m sure the last thing she needed was hearing that her daughter might fail a grade.

Looking back now, I honestly think God knew that was the last thing either of us needed. I truly believe that’s why He placed my fourth- and fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Bremer, in my life.

Lesson Two

The Teacher Who Changed Everything

When I think back on those years, Mrs. Bremer was literally my saving grace.

I came into her classroom in the middle of my fourth-grade year. I was shy, scared, stressed, and had such an anxious attachment to my mom and sister because of everything we had gone through.

Outside of my family, Mrs. Bremer became one of the safest people I had. She had a way of making everything feel like it was going to be okay.

She was fiercely protective of us.

She never played about her students. She advocated for us in ways I didn’t fully understand until I got older. She fought tooth and nail to keep our class together for fifth grade, and she did just that.

She also fought for me.

While others were considering holding me back, she believed I simply needed more time, more support, and more practice. She worked closely with my mom and laid out a plan for what it would take for me to improve my reading.

She was hard on me—really hard—but it worked.

Mrs. Bremer helped me go from reading at a first-grade level to reading and testing at a ninth- and tenth-grade level. I went from almost being held back to being considered for skipping from fifth grade to eighth grade.

Think about that for a second.

Lesson Three

Someone Believed in Me

Today, we constantly hear that our children are in a literacy crisis. We hear that they can’t read, write, or comprehend at the levels they should.

I don’t disagree.

But I also believe part of the problem is that we simply don’t have enough Mrs. Bremers showing up for our children.

As an educator, as a Black woman, and as someone who has a learning disability, I believe our children need stronger advocates. They need people who will refuse to give up on them. They need someone who will stay in their corner, even when learning gets hard.

I ask myself this question all the time:

How am I going to show up for the children in my community?

What can I do to truly do my part?

Lesson Four

The Lesson That Never Left Me

One thing Mrs. Bremer used to tell me has stayed with me all these years.

She would say,

“If you can’t pronounce a word, take your best guess. Don’t get stuck and stop reading completely.”

At the time, she was teaching me how to keep moving forward instead of giving up.

Looking back now, I don’t think Mrs. Bremer realized she wasn’t just teaching me how to read—she was shaping the woman I would become.

She taught me resilience.

She taught me perseverance.

She taught me that where you start doesn’t determine where you’ll finish.

Those lessons have stayed with me far beyond the classroom.

Lesson Five

Representation Is More Than Pictures

As I got older, I started thinking about why so many children get stuck in the first place.

So many of the books children are expected to read are filled with names, families, and experiences that aren’t familiar to them. For many Black and brown children, it’s rare to open a book and see names that sound like theirs, families that look like theirs, or stories that reflect their everyday lives.

Representation isn’t just about the illustrations—it’s about the words, the names, the cultures, and the experiences too.

I wanted children to read about an Alani, not another name they’ve never heard before. I wanted them to sound out names that reminded them of the classmates sitting beside them, the cousins they play with on the weekends, or even their own name.

Because when a child opens a book and says, “She looks like me,” or “His name sounds like mine,” something changes.

Reading stops feeling like another assignment and starts feeling personal.

I wanted children to see beautiful brown skin, natural hair, loving families, and experiences that felt familiar. I wanted them to have the opportunity to connect with a story before they ever reached the last page.

When children can see themselves in the stories they’re reading, they’re often more engaged, more confident, and more excited to keep reading.

That’s the kind of stories I want to create.

Lesson Six

Why I Wrote

Alani’s Magical Hair Adventure

That’s why I wrote this children’s book.

I wrote it because I’m committed to being an advocate for the little boys and girls we serve every single day.

I wrote it because I believe representation matters.

Most importantly, I wrote it because I’ve been through so much in my own life, and I want every child to know that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.

Lesson Seven

Your Story Doesn’t End Here

If you’re a child reading this—or maybe you’re an adult who needed to hear this years ago—I want you to remember something.

Don’t let test scores define you.

Don’t let anxiety cripple you.

Don’t let dyslexia convince you that you can’t become an author.

Don’t let ADHD stop you from becoming an educator, a business owner, or whatever God has called you to be.

Your current chapter is not your final chapter.

I want every Black and brown boy and girl to know one thing:

You can do it.

Lesson Eight

How Will You Show Up?

This book is just the beginning.

I am so excited for what’s to come, and I truly believe we can improve the quality of education in underserved communities. I believe we can build stronger readers. I believe we can create learning environments where every child feels represented, challenged, encouraged, and loved.

But that takes all of us.

So today, I want to challenge you to do more than make an obvious social media post about how our children are struggling.

Instead, look within yourself and ask:

How can I show up better for my children?

How can I show up for the children in my neighborhood?

How can I show up for my village?

Final Lesson

Be Someone’s Mrs. Bremer

There are still so many fourth-grade Tiasjas out there…

…and not nearly enough Mrs. Bremers.

Be the safe place.

Be the advocate.

Be the person who refuses to give up on a child.

You never know whose life you’re changing.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little piece of my story. I hope it reminds you that one person can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.

Mrs. Bremer certainly changed mine.

Until next time folks,

Tiasja Hayes