The Six Spellmakers of Dorabji Street

by Shabnam Minwalla

Sometimes the forces of evil are so dark that no single spell can defeat them’Cosy Castle is far from ‘cosy’. In fact, it is a boxy, grey building where children walk on tippy toes from fear of the dreadful ‘dragon’ and the crotchety ‘crone’. With Nivi Mallik’s arrival at Cosy Castle, the rules start to change. The bimbli trees become the hang-out spot for two giggly girls and the driveway is a permanent cricket pitch for the boys. But the happy times are soon ended by the ‘dragon’ and the ‘crone’, who gang up against the children and declare war on the bimbli trees. It will take a miracle to challenge the two wily women, leave alone defeat them. But miracles happen only in fairy tales…Or do they? Is it possible for fantasyfan Nivi, geeky boy-next-door Venu, bubbly Sarita and their three pint-sized comrades, Nikhil, Vijay and Rehaan, to conquer an evil much beyond their power? Join the six imaginative spellmakers as they use a very practical kind of magic to conjure potent potions, summon unlikely fairies and engineer a haunting...Does Cosy Castle finally become what it’s called? Make your way to Dorabji Street and find out…

Genres: India

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Shabnam Minwalla writes books for children.
These include:
`The Six Spellmakers of Dorabji Street'
`The Strange Haunting of Model High School'
`The Shy Supergirl'
`Lucky Girl'
`What Maya Saw'
`Nimmi's Spectabulous Schooldays'
and
`When Jiya Met Urmila'
Her short stories are included in numerous anthologies. She is also a journalist and columnist with a number of Indian newspapers and magazines. She is a former Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India in Mumbai.
Shabnam did her Masters in Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
She did her Bachelors in Economics, Statistics and Mathematics at St Xavier's College in Mumbai.

Reviews

[Denise Tarasuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! I picked this little gem up while in India a couple of years ago. Such a great children story that any adult would enjoy! Very entertaining and simply exciting. Read on my friends and enjoy!

[Himender Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book.Good fantasy.I love this book

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful children's read. With conspiring children, villainous neighbors, magical salesmen, mysterious columnists and a gripping plot this beauty is going to keep you hooked.

[Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really cute book. I will say that the premise and humour is kinda childish, but it's still enjoyable to read.

[Agni · Rating 4 out of 5]

a delightful and fun read! was perfect for me to get out of my reading slump!

[Narayani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm disappointed.
It is so slow, boring and flat
Book is well edited and efficient with continuous flow.
But couldn't hold my attention.

[Sudakshina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful read! Loved the Indian context and the varied references that made it so very relatable. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. A must read for all Middle Schoolers.

[Akshit Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akshit Jain (9th) Mind Tree School,Ambala
It is an excellent work of Shabnam Minwalla.The story is narrated from the point of view of a girl who has just arrived to a society full of weird neighbours and strict rules and obligations.But with the arrival of the girl Nivi, things start to change. The innumerable steps planned and executed by Nivi and her gang to save the Bimbli trees makes the story very interesting.
The several twists and turns, touching highs and lows in the story made me enjoy the story even more.The characters in the story are so realistic that anyone can relate or connect to them in a fraction of second.

All in all, it is a book that I would recommend to everyone for its nice, easy, crispy and veristic writing style and entertainment loaded storyline.

[Rama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every person who grew up in Mumbai will relate to this book. We have all probably grown up with these characters as our neighbours in our residential buildings. Be it the abominable Ms Bragunjha or the perennial conspirator Mrs Kotadia, I loved putting myself in each character's shoes and living it fully. The language is simple, crisp, and has doses of subtle humor. It is one of the most delightful books I have read in a long time. It's like a happy sunshine. Most importantly, it's written by Shabnam, who is an amazing wordsmith and a wonderful children's author.

[Tushar Kansara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Potter type

[Fatima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written, gripping plot about children trying to save their beloved trees. A short and sweet book, great for teenagers.