I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I didn’t know a lot about Sonia O’Sullivan before I read it, so it was interesting to learn about her life and achievements. I thought the book gave great insight into Sonia’s life.

This is a very interesting non-fiction book that helped me to learn a lot about Sonia O’Sullivan. I discovered that she is one of Ireland’s most successful athletes of all time and that she has won many races over the years. Her most impressive achievement is definitely winning a silver medal in the Olympic Games in Sydney in the year 2000, but I liked learning about all her other big wins and medals too. The book explained athletics very well, so it would be just as suitable for someone who doesn’t know a lot about the sport as it would be for someone with a big interest in athletics. Learning about Sonia’s life and how hard she had to train to achieve her goals was very inspiring. She is definitely a good role model for girls my age to look up to.

Apart from athletics, I really liked learning about Sonia’s personal life too. I discovered that she has two daughters named Ciara and Sophie. I’ve also been doing a bit of research of my own after finishing the book and I learned that Sophie is a very talented athlete, just like her mam. The author of the book made Sonia’s family life just as interesting as the exciting races she won over the years.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it is a good fit for both boys and girls aged 10 and over, as there is quite a lot of writing and not many pictures. I don’t think you would have to be an expert on athletics to find Sonia’s story interesting- I didn’t know much about the sport at all before I read it, and now I’m looking forward to watching Team Ireland compete in Tokyo over the summer! This book is a great read for anyone interested in learning about a strong Irish woman who never gave up on her goals, and I think everyone should read it and discover just how amazing Sonia O’Sullivan is.

By Holly, 4th Class, Presentation Primary School, Portarlington, Co. Laois.

Great irish Sporting Stars – Sonia O’ Sullivan” by Natasha Mac a’ Bháird, published by O’Brien Press, is now on sale for €8.99 (P/B).

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher, O’Brien Press, free of charge to Seomra Ranga for the purposes of this review