Amy Stolls, a 1982 graduate of Syosset High School, had her first novel published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Stolls' novel, Palms to the Ground recently won the Parents' Choice Gold Award.

The book, which is aimed at 12-18 year olds, focuses on Calman Pulowitz, a 13-year-old who flies unaccompanied from Boston to Walla Walla, WA, to visit his pen pal. To Calman's surprise, his pen pal is everything he isn't - including female.

Stolls now resides in Washington, DC where she works as the literature specialist for the National Endowment of the Arts. She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and has been writing her entire career.

The idea for the book came from Stolls' move from Syosset to Seattle, Washington. "I was thinking about my cross-country move and the difference between the east coast and west coast," said Stolls. "For example, in New York you can spend 10 minutes on a bus next to someone and come to know their entire life - Seattle is not so forthcoming. There are big differences."

A review of the book from the School Library Journal said, "Stolls manages to blend serious personal issues into her tale without bogging down the lively tone and pace. Her treatment of emergent sexuality, for example, is particularly strong in this charming coming-of-age novel. The brief passages are deftly nuanced, capturing perfectly the magically puzzling and fumbling manifestations of nascent urges. With any luck, this author will continue writing young adult novels."

Palms to the Ground received the Spring 2005 Parents' Choice Award in fiction. The Parents Choice Awards Program identifies the best products for children of different ages, backgrounds, skills, and interests and gives awards to products that meet and exceed standards set by educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents, and yes, kids themselves.

According to their website, fewer than 15 percent of those items submitted to the Parents' Choice Awards program receive a commendation in one of the six award levels: Classic, Gold, Silver, Recommended, Approved, and Fun Stuff, underscoring the coveted and prestigious achievement of being honored with a commendation from the Parents' Choice Awards program.

Judges in all product categories use general criteria including excellent production values, universal human values, appeal to children, age appropriateness when making their decisions. The Parents' Choice Awards committees look for products that entertain and teach with flair, stimulate imagination and inspire creativity. Judges are interested in how a product helps a child grow in many ways: socially, intellectually, emotionally, ethically, physically. Products must be free of racial or gender bias. Above all, products must not extol violence.

The book is available in books stores and online at www.amazon.com now.