I posted a couple of years ago about getting a road bike for my then-10-year-old son. Like you, I found that road bikes are close to impossible to find in kids sizes. We do a lot of touring, so I took a chance on a BikedDirect Windsor Tourist, and it's an absolute steal for the price. Excellent quality, and standard parts. It went together quickly, and I needed just a quick trip to the LBS for a 5-minute adjustment because I didn't have a threaded headset wrench at the time.
You don't say what your budget is, but something like
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...gesport_xi.htm might be an option ( or any of their other road bikes ). If you don't do your own wrenching then you should also factor in a trip to your LBS to do final assembly and adjustment.