Taking Risks

Miriam’s parents decide to move and buy the Jewel Motor Inn despite having no previous experience with hotel management. Why do you think they might have made this decision? Do you think it was a wise choice? Why or why not? How does it turn out for them in the end?...

What is a Miracle? Part 1

How would you define a miracle in your own words? Have you ever experienced one? Do you believe in them? Why or why not?

Investigate the Front Cover

Looking at the cover of the book, what do you see? Imagine you are a detective: using only clues from the cover, deduce what kind of place you think this story will occur in? What does that place look, feel, sound and smell like? Who will this story be about?

“No Vacancy”?

The title of this book is No Vacancy. What do you imagine when you hear these words? What does this phrase mean? Where do you most often see these words?

Write a Script

In 1899, Alfred Dreyfus receives “the most important message of his life” and finds out that he will be released from prison and go home (page 49). In groups of three to four, students will create a script that outlines a conversation between Dreyfus and Zola once...