You can find similar themes in lots of other Newbery winners.* DefaultToGood: Just before the climactic battle, the forces of the Dark attempt to stick [[spoiler:John Rowlands]] (who, being human, is a part of neither the Light nor the Dark and, while aware that there is a conflict going on, chooses to stay out of it for the most part) with this choice, bribing him with a promise of freeing his [[