This Week's Featured Child: Karley Cable

NAME: Karley Cable

SCHOOL: Roger's Middle School

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Karley, 13, adopted a Pug named Raisin from a local shelter when she was seven , and trained him to become a licensed therapy dog who works with children struggling to read. In order to help and motivate the students, Karley wrote, photographed, and published her first book, RAISIN--A DOGGIE'S TALE, The Story Of How I Went From Dumb-Dog to Tail-Waggin' Tutor (Amazon Books).

The funny and heartwarming story is based on Karley's real-life experiences with Raisin and teaches children to be responsible pet owners who will adopt pets from shelters rather than purchase them from stores. It also teaches kids how to overcome obstacles in their own lives, just like Raisin. The book came out on November 1st, 2010 and within three months she has sold 500 copies of the book. Karley is donating book proceeds to PUGS-n-PALS, the rescue shelter from which she got Raisin, as well as to Justin Rudd's Haute Dogs organization that benefits local animal shelters.

Karley, an eighth-grader, will be having a book-signing event on Saturday, April 2nd at Gatsby Books in Long Beach (5535 E. Spring St. @Bellflower) from 2-4pm. She will be reading excerpts from the book and Raisin will be posing for photos and giving PAW-tographs. Karley thinks the key to success is exactly what she tells the kids she tutors: "Don't give up on your dreams. Even when things are difficult, keep on trying! Don't beat yourself up or compare yourself to others."