Cherrye Vasquez: An Author on a Mission!

By John Riddle

Cherrye Vasquez has one motto in life: Love is the key to diversity! 

“I am an educator, mother, wife and author,” she said.  “I have been in public education for 30 years, and I have been an adjunct professor for 4 years.”  Her latest book, No Tildes on Tuesday, was written for children between the ages of 7 and 13. 

            “Isabella, the main character in the book, is biracial,” Vasquez said.  “She doesn’t want to learn her father’s first language, Spanish, so she goes on a journey to avoid it. When Isabella learns that her family has to move to a new neighborhood, she believes that most of the children there will speak Spanish, and she won’t be able to understand them, so she doesn’t want to move. Once Isabella moves, she meets a new friend who introduces her to the one half of her culture that she has been avoiding.”

A gifted and talented author, she said she wrote the book to help others.  “I wrote No Tildes on Tuesday so that I can reveal the complexities that children go through when they are not taught early on to embrace their self-identity,” she said.  “All children should love who they are regardless of their race whether mono-racial, bi-racial or multi-racial.”

The book was a labor of love, and took almost two years to write (including multiple drafts and editing).  She is busy working on the sequel to No Tildes on Tuesday.  “In this book, Isabella will go full circle loving and accepting who she is to the point of encouraging diversity, and asking her classmates to join her in starting up a heritage club.  I am excited about finishing this project and getting the book published!”

She has also written two Daybooks titled: Diversity Daybook and Affirmation Day book. “These two daybooks are journal writing books, and it is my intent for children to write about their rich diversities/heritages/cultures and share one to another.

In addition, children must feel good about and affirm who they are, and who they hope to evolve into. Empowerment is a key factor in a child’s quest for increased self-esteem.”

No Tildes on Tuesday can be purchased at her Website, www.booksthatsow.com, or through other online outlets, including Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and others.