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No Vacancy Paperback – October 5, 2021

by Tziporah Cohen MFA (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
See all formats and editions
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With the help of her Catholic friend, an eleven-year-old Jewish girl creates a provocative local tourist attraction to save her family’s failing motel.

Buying and moving into the run-down Jewel Motor Inn in upstate New York wasn’t eleven-year-old Miriam Brockman’s dream, but at least it’s an adventure. Miriam befriends Kate, whose grandmother owns the diner next door, and finds comfort in the company of Maria, the motel’s housekeeper, and her Uncle Mordy, who comes to help out for the summer. She spends her free time helping Kate’s grandmother make her famous grape pies and begins to face her fears by taking swimming lessons in the motel’s pool.

But when it becomes clear that only a miracle is going to save the Jewel from bankruptcy, Jewish Miriam and Catholic Kate decide to create their own. Otherwise, the No Vacancy sign will come down for good, and Miriam will lose the life she’s worked so hard to build.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.6
Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 7
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.75 x 7.5 inches
  6. Publisher
    Groundwood Books
  7. Publication date
    October 5, 2021
  8. ISBN-10
    1773068490
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1773068497
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

With effortless mastery, Cohen weaves the opposing forces of innocence and corruption, right and wrong, love and hate. STARRED REVIEW

― Quill & Quire

Debut author Cohen displays a knack for storytelling that makes this a thoughtful, engrossing, funny read.

― Booklist

A leisurely paced, character-rich tale of family, religious faith, and the human need for the miraculous. Strongly recommended for middle grade collections.

― School Library Journal

This summer-in-a-small-town novel, with a mischief-based premise and an old-fashioned feel, includes plenty of exploration of how Miriam and her family fit into the larger community.

― Horn Book

Miriam is a delight, both sarcastic and complex. … sensitive plot layers portray differences between types of Judaism, showing how people of different faiths, languages, ages, and backgrounds can have respectful and close relationships.

― Foreword Reviews

It’s the connections between the characters that really made this story come alive.

― CM Review of Materials

[A] simple story filled with memorable and sympathetic characters

― Canadian Children’s Book News

Filled with thoughtful, masterful writing, No Vacancy offers readers a wonderful cast of characters, a chance to consider what is right or wrong, to look at differences with tender care and concern, and to look at racism as it exists in society.

― Sal's Fiction Addiction Blog

Miriam is an intelligent pre-teen with lots of worthy questions [and] the prose is easy to read.

― Association of Jewish Libraries

Review

It’s wonderful when a book about miracles turns out to be one. And the miracle in No Vacancy above everything else is kindness.

-- Tim Wynne-Jones, award-winning author

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Groundwood Books (October 5, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1773068490
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1773068497
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.75 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Tziporah Cohen

Tziporah Cohen

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Tziporah Cohen was born and raised in New York, then spent eighteen years in Boston before landing in Toronto, where she lives with her husband, three kids, two cats, and one dog. She has an MD from Harvard Medical School and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Tziporah splits her time between working as a psychiatrist in oncology/palliative care and writing, interspersed with parenting, indoor rock climbing and lots of walking the dog.

You can find her at her website: tziporahcohen.com or on Twitter: @tzippymfa

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ellen L
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I read NO VACANCY by Tziporah Cohen as an adult and immediately recommended it to my grandson and his friends. Yes, the main characters are girls, but this is not a "girl book." It is universal. Cohen deftly writes about a serious subject but interjects warmth and even humor into the lovely story. There are so many wonderful themes in here, but especially now, the idea of different religions helping and supporting each other rises to the top. I highly recommend this book!
One person found this helpful
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A mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Who doesn't love a story with a maybe miracle?!
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
One of my biggest criteria for a great book is if I forget everything else and get lost in it while I'm reading. This sweet story totally delivers on that. I love the way the author immerses you into the culture of the very religious – which I'm not – and not just one religion but two: Judaism and Catholicism. The set up is so awesome and then two girls who just want to help. It is a great read for older elementary and middle school. I would love it as an all school summer read, especially in a time where we could use more understanding of our differences. It is charming and engaging with lots of heart.
4 people found this helpful
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L. Higgins
4.0 out of 5 stars Struggle with Religious Identity
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2021
Life is not always easy as Miriam, an eleven year old, discovers. As her family faces financial distress, she is uprooted and transplanted to a motel in upstate New York. She leaves behind her close friends and spends her summer days helping her family revive the failing motel. Success for the motel would also mean better times for the Whitleys, a generous and kindly couple next door whose granddaughter Kate becomes Miriam’s best friend. When Miriam’s Uncle Mordy suggests it might take a miracle to keep the businesses afloat, Kate and Miriam decide to provide one!

As she is dealing with challenges at the motel, Miriam is trying to understand what it means to be Jewish and why she is different from others in her new community. She also wrestles with a fear of swimming.

Tziporah Cohen’s No Vacancy is a gentle, but thoughtful look at religion, ethics, and community. This work of fiction is aimed at middle schoolers, but I enjoyed reading it. I like Miriam and find that her interactions with other characters as she struggles with being open about being a Jew and about her aquaphobia gives the book more depth. Uncle Mordy shares differences that exist among Jews in practicing their faith. The Catholic priest acts as a counselor without being intrusive or preachy. The interactions between Miriam and Kate demonstrate that differences in faith don’t preclude a happy and healthy friendship.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Groundwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 people found this helpful
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Amy Bernstein
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read for a young girl
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
I am not a young woman; indeed, I am of grandmother age, but this book caught my eye, so I bought it. It really is a lovely, warm story that promotes a positive image of Jews and Christians getting along with each other. I had to laugh because one of the stories in the book -- that of the Jewish girl wearing a friend's necklace with a crucifix and her mother's reaction -- mirrored a similar incident that happened to me when I was a little girl. The book, which is written with a lot of humor, is easy to read, and the voices of the characters felt real to me. A great bat mitzvah gift for someone!
2 people found this helpful
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Kale718
5.0 out of 5 stars No Vacancy was a great book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
From my daughter, “No vacancy was a great book and I enjoyed it immensely. It said so much about the world and that part of the division in our world is a choice on all sides. These characters were so likable and I would definitely suggest this book.”
2 people found this helpful
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Susan
5.0 out of 5 stars A timely and classic read
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a book about miracles—both invented and the authentic kind that unfold before our eyes. About differences—some visible and some not, some real and some imagined. And about the power of community and big-heartedness to bring us together. I loved this book.
One person found this helpful
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Live Outside
5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading covering many issues
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2021
This book had a lot of themes going through it but it worked. Miriam, an 11-year-old girl is the protagonist in the story as her family moves into a rundown motel, in the hopes of creating a new future for themselves and the business. They had only planned this to be a short-term plan, hoping to save some money and then move on. Moving into a small community was different than New York City and the longer I read, the more I realized what this family was hiding internally.

As the family moves into The Jewel Motor Inn, the two children live in one of the rooms and the parents’ take-up residence in an adjoining room. As an 11-year-old, I thought that would be fun but I could understand the novelty wearing off. Maria, continues to work at the Inn, taking care of the housekeeping issues and helping the family become familiar with the motel. I loved how she helped Miriam learn Spanish and I felt that Maria was a very kind and tolerant individual. As her parents start the clean-up process, Miriam pitches in. On an errand to the diner next door, she meets Kate. Kate’s grandmother owns the diner and eventually, Miriam ends up helping out at the diner making pies.

Now that Miriam has met a friend, the two girls start hanging out together. While talking about their small town, they come up with a plan that they think will benefit everyone in it. Now, if only they don’t get caught creating their plan! An innocent plan which when you think about it, was harmless. I thought the girls were rather clever. As guests arrived to the hotel, Miriam meets Anton. This child was a gem! Anton arrived with his mother and his wheelchair. Miriam saw the wheelchair. I really think she saw the wheelchair before she saw Anton until Anton met her in the swimming pool. After that, Miriam changed how she looked at him. Anton was not the only person who tried to help Miriam with her fear of water, Uncle Mordy tried his hand at that, too. Uncle Mordy arrived to help out the family so he decided to help Miriam. Slowly, he introduced her the water, letting the water touch her upper thighs, it was a start.

The girls felt guilty for what they did for the town but they didn’t want to admit to anyone what they did. Just as the family is enjoying their new home, they discover something painful and disturbing at the motel. This event has a snowball effect on the community which all began because of emotions and the lack of accountability. I cringed to see this happened to them and I had to hope that somehow, they found find strength to fight it.

A middle school read that packs religion, faith, friendship, disabilities, and family all in one book. I found it to be a fast read and I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars

" They stand with their arms around each other. The man points and traces somthing in the air. The woman nods and smiles and I see tears rolls down her cheeks. "
"Is what we did good or bad? Yes, we fooled people, but if it makes them happy and gives them hope and saves the motel and the diner, is that so bad?"
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Sandy's Mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming!
Reviewed in Canada on April 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
It's such a lovely story.
I am an adult who enjoyed reading this book.
The writer has good intentions and a good heart.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read for Middle Schoolers
Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
The author was really able to be a voice for emerging adolescents.

It made the whole story even more interesting and authentic!
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