Books

Carole P. Roman wasn't always a children's book author. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens before settling on Long Island, she became a teacher, then a mother and finally went into the family transportation business. But once her own kids had kids, she realized she wanted to try something more creative.

After watching his mother make up stories for his young child, Roman's son dared her write a children's book. So in 2012, she self-published Captain No Beard - An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life, a rollicking adventure about kids pretending to be on a pirate ship. Although it was initially done as a lark, the book went on to make Kirkus Reviews' list of the Best Indie Books of 2012 and suddenly a series of books—and Roman's new career—was born.

We're giving away copies of Roman's second Captain No Beard story, Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience, to ten lucky readers. Read on for details on how to enter, and for our interview with the author about her favorite places to take her grandchildren, her creative inspirations and a peek at the new books she's working on.

With the awesome annual Brooklyn Book Festival coming up this Sunday, we figured it would be a great time to highlight some of our favorite independent New York City bookstores that cater to kids. Because as much as we love Barnes & Noble, the ubiquitous chain doesn't enchant or inspire in quite the same way as a small homey bookshop, packed to the rafters with eclectic titles and staffed with book lovers who know regulars' names and tastes.

Although there are only a handful of dedicated children's bookshops in NYC (Books of Wonder and Bank Street Bookstore, we're looking at you!), there are a number of non-chain bookstores that have impressive kids' sections. Plus these unique lit havens often host events for kids—not just storytimes, but author readings, writing workshops and other interactive activities for burgeoning bookworms. So what are you waiting for? Get reading!