Book Review: How to Turn Your Book Club into a Spectacular Event by Mayra Calvani

Welcome to my stop on the World of ink Book tour for Mayra Calvani!

This is my seocnd pdf book file review! Yes, I am Nook-less as frankly I just don't have the time, nor inclination to carry one around, and to be honest, I love the feel and weiht of a book in my hands!

And that is what this book is about! The love of books and wanting to start your OWN book club and how to STAND out from the throngs of books clubs in your area!

Synopsis: Do you love reading? Do you enjoy talking about books with friends? Why not start a book club--YOUR own book club, and turn it into a SPECTACULAR event? Book clubs aren't only for adults. Many kids like you would love to start a book club but don't know how. In this book, I will teach you all you need to know to become a FABULOUS book club hostess. In some cases, you'll need an adult to help you. If that happens, make your parent, guardian or teacher read this book! Starting your own book club can be easy, exciting and fun. The main requirements? A little imagination and a passion for words!


About the Author  Mayra Calvani spends most of her time doing what she loves best: writing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her children's titles include The Magic Violin, Crash!, Humberto the Bookworm Hamster, Frederico the Mouse Violinist, as well as the forthcoming The Doll Violinist, A Bad, Mad, Sad Day for Mama Bear, Water Play, and the nonfiction middle-grade book, How to Write Great Book Reviews. Mayra is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and blog editor for the Belgian chapter. You can check out her blogs at: www.mayrassecretbookcase.com
and www.mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com

Review: While this book is aimed at pre-teens (ages 9-12), there is alot that teens and ADULTS can learn from it as well! It book covers everything you need to know! Mayra hels you figure out what type of club you want, the best way to recruit members, how to have a super cool first meeting (to keep everybody coming back!),to picking great books and keeping everyone involved! the author gives you some great online resources forpicking books, some of which I hadn't thought of! Her questions to start you off when talking about a book are VERY helpful, especially ifyou have NO idea what to say about a book!

All in all this is a great book for pre-teens through adults! I think this would be a great summer project and i can see making up a end of school/beginning of summerbasket for my pre-teen/teen,with this book, a pretty notebook and pen set, some invitation and decoration pack.it would be a great project to keep the kids busy over the summer. the book is aimed more at girls, because at this age they are the readers, but it is easily adapted for boys as well!

I liked her idea of if you're doing English mysteries, having 'English tea' for your meetings. It gives you pause to really think how FUN you can make your meetings, BEFORE you even start talking about the book for the meeting!

Now here's a little fun Q&A with Mayra!

What is the most difficult part of writing?

Staying disciplined and shutting down my inner critic.


Do you find it hard to balance your personal writing time with your other job(s)?
I’m a fulltime writer and my kids are older now, so I don’t have to struggle the way I used to in the past. I have more time now. I usually work from 9am until 3pm. Sometimes I have errands and my schedule changes, and that’s okay. From 4pm to about 8pm I spend time with my family, then from 8pm until 11pm I’m back at the computer. I write when I can. Though I prefer mornings to write, I’ve learned to write anytime, anywhere.

Tell us about your writing space?
I have a little office all to myself, with a big desk and bookshelves all around. I like my desk to stay tidy. I love office supplies and make sure I always have a surplus supply of them. I sit on a leather swivel chair. I keep an exercise mat nearby and sometimes take breaks to do situps or stretching exercises. My neck and shoulders tend to get very stiff when I write.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?
At the end of December and early January I decide what my three major goals will be for that year. Once I have this, I Include the necessary tasks and objectives to help me achieve my goals in my weekly working schedule and in my to-do list. It has taken me quite some time, but now I realize the importance of organization and I'm able to get so much more done if I stay systematic and follow this method. I have been working with a coach, Suzanne Lieurance of the National Writing for Children Center, for about a year now and she's absolutely wonderful

What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

I see writing as channeling, as taking dictation. What I do is I watch and listen to the ‘movie’ in my head, then I write those things down. I learned to do this after reading The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. The book changed my life and the way I approach writing and creating. I’d advise all writers and artists to get their hands on that book. It’s absolutely powerful.


Before sitting down to write, it usually takes me a few minutes to get in the right frame of mind. I do a little meditation and quiet down my inner critic. Or I write in my journal for a while and dump all the clutter from my mind. That helps a lot. Then I sit down and say, “Leap, and the net will appear.”



Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand?

In the computer. When it comes to picture books, however, I often write first drafts in longhand.



Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this e-book from Stories for Children, via World of Ink, for review purposes. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it either