Sword of a Champion: The Story of Sharon Monplaisir (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls) Paperback – September 15, 2000

Great story! My 9 yr old daughter takes fencing lessons, and it was an inspiration to find a true story of a female U.S Olympic winning fencer. Sharon Monplaisir went through a true rags to riches story, shows what determination, ambition and hard work can achieve.

What a wonderful, engaging, multifaceted book for adolescent girls.....and boys! Sharon Monplaisir's biography takes the reader through a wide range of emotions. The spirit and drive within Sharon's soul, from the depths of poverty to that as an Olympian, is an inspiration to us all. Anyone who has wanted to find a better life, but experienced doubt, and struggled to "fit in", can find hope within Sharon's many struggles. A noteworthy and heartwarming part of the book was when Sharon, representing the Women's Sports Foundation on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, addressed an auditorium of middle school aged boys and girls.A component of the book also worth its "weight in gold", is the section called "Sports Talk", which is meant to be an interactive platform for readers and their parents, teaches and coaches. It contains excellent research-based information and thought provoking questions for readers relating to issues of girls participating in sport, within the context of the book.This would be a terrific book to use in a middle school program, where integration of English, Social Studies, Physical Education, and Technology are sought.

With all the awful stories surfacing today dealing with modern athletes, we finally have a sports story to inspire youngsters --especially girls. Sharon Monplaisir is a true role model for our times. Kids should read this book. As the author of "The Art and Science of Fencing" and "The Inner Game of Fencing," and the editor-in-chief of FENCERS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,I recommend it.