Question: What was the nationality of the author of the 1961 children's novel about a boy who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting dogs?

Context paragraphs:
Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound: The Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound is an American foxhound breed.  It resulted of a cross breed with Bloodhounds in the 1700s.  The breed was developed by the landed gentry in order to get a dog suitable for fox hunting.  Besides the Black and Tan there are the Walker, Calhoun, Penn-Marydel, Goodman, July and Trigg, which all developed from similar crosses.  The Black and Tan is believed to descend form hunting dogs imported to America by Robert Brooke in 1650.  These hunting dogs were the ancestors of several varieties of American hounds and stayed with the Brooke family for more than 300 years.  Afterwards French Foxhounds were bred in after George Washington received them as gifts from the Marquis de Lafayette.  Much later, the breed's speed and stamina were improved introducing Irish Foxhounds.

Redbone Coonhound: The Redbone Coonhound is an American breed of dog used for hunting raccoon, deer, bear, and cougar.  The American Kennel Club standard says, "The Redbone mingles handsome looks and an even temperament with a confident air and fine hunting talents."  This breed has been registered with the United Kennel Club since 1902 and the American Kennel Club since 2009.  The Redbone is the breed of hound featured in the classic novel "Where the Red Fern Grows".

Wilson Rawls: Woodrow Wilson Rawls, (September 24, 1913 - December 16, 1984) was an American writer best known for his books "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Summer of the Monkeys".

American English Coonhound: The English Coonhound, also referred to as the American English Coonhound (by the American Kennel Club only) or the Redtick Coonhound, is a breed of coonhound that originated and is typically bred in the Southern United States.  It is descended from hunting hounds brought to America by settlers during the 17th and 18th centuries, resulting in the dogs known as the "Virginia Hounds".  The breed's first recognition came from the United Kennel Club in 1905 as the English Fox and Coonhound.  Further recognition has been granted in recent years by the American Kennel Club, first in the Foundation Stock Service and in 2011 as a fully recognized member of the hound group.

Where the Red Fern Grows (2003 film): Where the Red Fern Grows is a 2003 family adventure film based on the children's book of the same name by Wilson Rawls.  Directed by Lyman Dayton and Sam Pillsbury, it follows the story of Billy Colman who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting dogs to hunt raccoons in the Ozark mountains.  The film stars Joseph Ashton, Dave Matthews, Ned Beatty and Dabney Coleman.

Hunting Dog (Felids): Hunting Dogs (Felids) refers to those few hunting dogs which are used primarily to aid in the hunt for large members of the cat family (felids) such as lion in the Old World and cougar in the New World.  A pack may be used either, to track the animal and keep it at baywhich combines both giving voice to the sound known as baying, and surrounding and confining the animalor, they may be expected to engage the animal in combat and seize it, in the manner of the catch dogs used in boar hunting, until the huntsmen have the opportunity to dispatch it.  This dual function means that the dogs are of essentially molosser type and are among the largest of all hunting dogs.

Field trial: A field trial is a competitive event at which hunting dogs compete against one another.  There are field trials for retrievers, pointing dogs and flushing dogs.  Field trials are usually organized by kennel clubs or other gun dog organizations.  Field trials are generally considered more competitive than hunt tests in that success at a field trial requires a higher level of training than success at a hunt test requires.  For example, in Retriever Field Trials, dogs retrieve over longer distances with a more complex path than a Retriever Hunt Test would generally provide.  Field trial dogs must be "finished" in order to enter.  Their purpose is also different, as they exist mainly for breeders, while hunting tests are made for users.

Braque Francais: The Braques français are hunting dogs, from a very old type of gun dog used for pointing the location of game birds for a hunter.  There are two breeds of Braque français, both from the south of France, the Braque français, type Gascogne (French Pointing Dog - Gascogne type, larger size) and the Braque français, type Pyrénées (French Pointing Dog - Pyrenean type, smaller size) They are popular hunting dogs in France, but are seldom seen elsewhere.

Hunting dog: A hunting dog refers to a canine that hunts with or for humans.  There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks.  The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs. Among these categories further divisions can be made based upon the dogs' skill sets.

Where the Red Fern Grows: Where the Red Fern Grows is a 1961 children's novel by Wilson Rawls about a boy who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting dogs.

Supporting paragraphs: Wilson Rawls Where the Red Fern Grows
Answer: American