o ▁command ing ▁officer ▁when ▁the ▁group ▁returned ▁to ▁Wir ra we e . ▁ ▁G av in ▁A ▁young ▁de af ▁boy ▁who ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁gang ▁of ▁war ▁or ph ans , ▁led ▁by ▁a ▁dict atorial ▁boy ▁called ▁Ald o , ▁living ▁in ▁Str at ton ▁since ▁the ▁war ▁began . ▁Of ▁the ▁children ▁the ▁group ▁rescue , ▁only ▁G av in ▁had ▁occupied ▁a ▁position ▁amongst ▁Ald o ' s ▁inner ▁circle . ▁Being ▁used ▁to ▁a ▁position ▁of ▁power , ▁G av in ▁immediately ▁establish es ▁himself ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁children . ▁He ▁initially ▁doesn ' t ▁trust ▁Ell ie ▁and ▁her ▁friends ▁but ▁soon ▁comes ▁to ▁feel ▁affection ▁and ▁respect ▁for ▁them . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁John ▁Mars den : ▁Dark ness , ▁Sh adow , ▁and ▁Light ▁John ▁No ell ▁Moore , ▁associate ▁professor ▁of ▁English ▁at ▁The ▁College ▁of ▁William ▁& ▁Mary , ▁ident ifies ▁several ▁significant ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁series ; ▁the ▁transition ▁from ▁innoc ence ▁to ▁experience ; ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁landscape ; ▁understanding ▁the ▁past ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁dealing ▁with ▁the ▁present ▁and ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁the ▁future ; ▁and ▁writing ▁and ▁story t elling ▁and ▁how ▁they ▁shape ▁identity . ▁ ▁The ▁transition ▁from ▁innoc ence ▁to ▁experience ▁is ▁shown ▁in ▁transformations ▁in ▁Ell ie ' s ▁thinking ▁and ▁her ▁changing ▁not ions ▁towards ▁leadership ▁and ▁courage ▁as ▁the ▁series ▁progress es . ▁Ell ie ' s ▁reasons ▁for ▁chron ic