Truth is the major theme of Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues. Twelve-year-old Alfa Merryfield is the protagonist who seeks to solve a mystery while bolstering his sense of pride in himself and his family. Named Alpha by his mother, which represents the first Greek letter, his name was often misspelled as Alfa which he accepted because he thought it was odd "being a second child named first." Ironically, Alfa's correct name truly identifies his role. Keenly aware that he is the man of the house, Alfa feels responsible to earn money to pay for necessities or pawn treasured belongings to insure that his great-grandmother and sister will not become homeless. He is intelligent, resourceful, curious, and creative. Like his great-grandmother, Alfa is tall, resulting in people assuming he is older than he actually is. His maturity enables him to plan his future and pursue...