A Grass Rope

William James Carter Mayne (1928–2010) was an English author of children's fiction who published over 100 books, starting with Follow the Footprints in 1953. Notable works include the Choir School quartet beginning with A Swarm in May and the Earthfasts trilogy; he won the Carnegie Medal for A Grass Rope (1957) and Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for Low Tide (1993).William Mayne