No Vacancy By: Tziporah Cohen

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

When Miriam's father loses his job, the family buys a run down motel in upstate New York.  Miriam wants nothing more than to return to the city and her old life, but this is not an option.  Miriam spends her days helping the family clean up the motel, looking after her younger brother, and making a new friend, Kate.  Even with all her family's hard work, the motel still doesn't have enough visitors to make the place successful.  While Kate is showing Miriam around town the pair come up with a plan that will help the motel and the town, but will they be able to live with the lie they've created?  This is an interesting story about starting over and making new friendships.  It is also a story of accepting and learning about each other, as Miriam's family is Jewish and the majority of the town are Catholics.  This Silver Birch 2022 nominee is an enjoyable read.