Found: Children/YA book - a boy and an old man who is guardian of standing stones.

I read this book in the late 70s or early 80s in the UK. I was a child so assume it was a children's book, but might also have been a young adult's book. My grandmother gave it to me - it wasn't hers and she had bought it, so it might have been second hand back then. I think the edition that I read was a paperback.

As for genre, I wouldn't say it was fantasy but it has folkloric and magical elements.

As far as I remember it involves a boy and an old man, who might or might not be the boy's grandfather. I have trouble remembering people's names in real life, so have no idea of character names - sorry.

There is something to do with standing stones, and the old man is some sort of guardian of them.

I think that at some point in the story the stones come alive and move about, but I might possibly be conflating it with the classic Dr Who story The Stones of Blood. I am fairly sure this was an important part of the story however.

There is one scene where the old man passes on his guardianship or powers to the boy in a ritual. I remember part of this involved tying a rope or cord about the boy.

To me the book had a mysterious and mystical atmosphere.

Thanks very much, I'll keep looking myself but it would be great if anyone recognises this.

-Michael

I did some searches for standing stones and fiction, and I found The Walking Stones, published in 1970: "After receiving the gift of Second Sight from his old friend ,the Bodach, ten-year-old Donald becomes responsible for safeguarding the ancient power of the walking stones before their glen is flooded by a hydroelectric company."

Does that sound familiar?

That thing about the hydroelectric company flooding does ring a faint bell...and the description sounds promising...that might be it thanks. I've been googling and chatgpting for a few weeks and never once got that come up :)

Let me know if it turns out! Looks like there are a couple editions available on openlibrary.

I find that google is becoming more and more useless every day, alas. I used user tags from librarything, and clicked on every single title tagged both 'fantasy' and 'standing stones' that wasn't by Diana Gabaldon: https://www.librarything.com/tag/fantasy%2C%20standing%20stones

I've ordered a 1970s paperback from ebay with a great cover that feels very familiar. I am absolutely certain this is the book thanks. How do I mark this thread as Found?