Simi Stands Tall by Arti Sonthalia
My take on the book:
Simi is a three time academic award winner at Bhaarti Bhavan, but when her family moves to a new city due to her father’s promotion and transfer, Simi finds herself a complete nobody at Newton International School. The confident girl who once had a chest full of trophies is now struggling to find her footing in the new school where the classroom rules are different and the social dynamics even more.
At her new school, she discovers that Parth — a boy in worn out clothes and torn shoes — is sharper than anyone she has ever competed against. There is Alisa, the popular girl who is mean for no reason. When her teacher announces a major quiz competition, Simi is determined to make the final cut and bring home the trophy. Her family is preoccupied with her mother’s chemotherapy and with her siblings Akaash and Mahi offering little comfort, Simi’s only real confidant is her pet goldfish Goldie.
Whether Simi can make new friends and stand tall against the school bullies forms the rest of the story.
What makes Simi Stands Tall special is the way the author Arti Sonthalia layers serious themes like a parent’s fight with cancer, financial hardship, the fear of being judged within a story that never becomes heavy handed. There is warmth and lightness even in the difficult moments. Simi’s journey is not just about adjusting to a new school; it is about unlearning the idea that grades are the only yardstick for worth, and learning to see people like Parth beyond their surface.
The story also handles friendship with a lot of honesty. Simi makes mistakes. She is drawn to the wrong crowd. And yet her path back to herself feels earned, not convenient. The quiz competition subplot is a fun addition that keeps the pace lively and sneaks in interesting trivia that young readers will enjoy. The illustrations complement the narrative well as there is an energy to them that matches Simi’s restless, searching spirit.
Overall, it is a moving reminder for young readers, and adults that courage and self belief aren’t things we have to find in the outside world — they are already inside us.
My rating:
4/5.