#449 - Simi Stands Tall

by Arti Sonthalia and illustrated by Sahitya Rani

“Simi Stands Tall” by Arti Sonthalia and illustrated by Sahitya Rani. Published by Penguin. An insightful story of Simi who faces many changes and must figure out her way by standing tall for herself and those around her.

Simi is a ten year old and lives with her parents and siblings who are much older than her. They have moved to a new city and Simi has to join a new school much to her dislike. She was the academic award winner of Bhaarti Bhavan. Now she is going to be an unknown in Newton International School. But the good thing is that her mother can get better treatment for her cancer in this city. Simi feels lonely and shares all her feelings and thoughts with her pet goldfish Goldie. She stays away from her siblings as she finds their likes and interests annoying.

Simi’s days at her new school prove to be quite unnerving. She discovers that she is not considered so smart after all like in Bhaarti Bhavan. Another new boy called Parth seems to be smarter than her. She gets upset when the teacher asks her to learn a simpler method in maths from him. Simi tries to befriend the popular girl Alisa who isn’t interested in her given her mean streak. She has to work as a team with some of her classmates, who she isn’t keen about, by her teacher. She cannot make up her mind about her classmates. There is Vidhi who seems nice but Alisa avoids her. Then there is Meenal who is Alisa’s friend seeming to have the same opinion about everything as Alisa. Parth is nice to her but everyone seems to avoid him as he wears shabby clothes and torn shoes. She is unable to cope with so many changes in her life. Then there comes an unexpected opportunity which she wants to grab  and get to make some friends. A coveted inter school quiz competition which her teacher wants them to win. This is something that she has never done before. She will have to choose her friends wisely and stand tall like her mother says. Not only for herself but for those who can become her real friends. Read the engrossing book to know if Simi can manage to sail through the difficult times by standing tall.

The plot was gripping and the characters seemed so real as well as relatable. My nine year old exclaimed “what a story!” when we finished reading. Most chapters have a section where Simi shares what she felt to Goldie which was so endearing. But it also meant that Simi did not find trust or confidence in discussing what she felt with anyone else. She worried about her mother and what would happen to her. But had no friends or family members with whom she could share her fears and apprehensions. Added to this were the ordeals she was facing in class. It was a difficult thing to adapt to changes by getting out of her comfort zone. But every silver cloud has a lining. Sometimes we form our own opinions about people and fail to recognise our true friends. We get carried away by appearances. Even find it cool to be with those who are popular though they may be bullies and mean to others. Simi’s family was going through a tough time. They may not have taken time to pause and think how she might be going through the testing times. Simi herself had misunderstood her siblings. She had been avoiding trying to bond with them thinking that they didn’t bother about her. All these messages came out so well through the story of Simi. My son says that his favourite character is Parth. He was quite helpful to Simi though he had his own share of problems. Overall the book is a “MUST READ”.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 8 and above.

Reasons to Read

The story touches upon so many relevant topics like friendship, trust, teamwork, adapting to changes, standing up for each other, sharing and facing problems making it a must read.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!