Keith Carson, 66, gets to live the life of which most children dream.
As a full-time pirate entertainer — instead of pillaging towns and taunting girls and boys — he uses his powers for good. In 2003, Carson tapped into his inner child and geared up for a new adventure as a pirate, in which he performed for birthday parties, festivals and even officiated the occasional
pirate-themed wedding.
With inspiration from his daughter, who he said always had her nose in a book, he decided to start a program dedicated to promoting literacy for young children. It's called “Captain Kidd Carson’s Bookaneers” and brings him to various elementary schools, libraries and children’s hospitals throughout the state of Florida to teach children about the magic of reading.
In April, his first children’s book “The Pirate That Learned to Love” comes out, and he said the proceeds will go to his nonprofit to continue spreading the joy of books. The program pushes the message of how “books are treasure for the mind,” and he hopes to continue inspiring children the same way his daughter inspired him.