DUBLIN, Ohio — He started writing the words last January.
Roman Gonska finished the book in November. At 9 years old and in the third grade, he is a published author.
“I made a book,” he said. “I actually made a book.”
The Adventures of Roman German is a book about him, Jerry the Giraffe, Matt the Monkey and Rob the Robot.
“I asked my mom could we make a book out of these characters [and] she said why not,” Gonska said.
Together, the characters travel from the Blue Mountains and Little Collins Beach in Australia, where Roman and his family actually lived for about three years.
“But the Macazanium Cave I just made that up,” Gonska said, smiling. “I wanted to make up my own word.”
“He realized it was work but he loved it,” Roman’s mother, Rose Quiroz, said. “He was so excited about it.”
Rose says her family’s adventures have taken them from New York to Australia, Tel Aviv in Israel to Dublin, Ohio. She says Roman’s ambition is his true gift.
“Think about it,” Quiroz said. “A 9-year-old, for his birthday…what he wanted for his birthday was that I help him publish his book.”
In November, Roman turned the page from writer to accomplished author.
The book is now sold in paperback and is also available online with Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Roman and his mom are also selling clothing that bears the images of the same characters he helped bring to life. A portion of every piece of clothing and every book sale goes to Compassion, which is an organization that helps poverty-stricken children around the world.
“I’m so proud of him,” Quiroz said. “He’s a big dreamer. He has big dreams, but he’s also creative and he’s focused.”
He’s 9. He’s in the third grade. And he is someone we all should aspire to be.
“Just try your hardest,” Gonska said. “Use your ideas. It can all be real. Anything is possible.”