It is mostly realistic, but with a touch of fantasy. The main characters are Shoshi, a Russian girl who almost gets kidnapped by Cossacks; Moshe, Shoshi’s brother, who is almost always at Shoshi’s side; and Snigger, a fire- breathing dragon who beats up Cossacks. Supporting characters include Mrs. Kaputnik, who is Shoshi and Moshe’s mother and who owns the emporium; Aloysius P. Thornswaddle, the owner of a local baseball team; and Nick the Stick, a gangster who rules the Lower East Side with a rod of iron. The part that grabbed me was the mix of realism and fantasy. There is funny humor and serious humor, fiction and nonfiction. (Serious humor happens when the situation is serious but people make jokes anyway.) The combinations are what make this a good read. I give this book four stars!