Families who loved Why Is Everybody Yelling?: Growing Up in My Immigrant Family by Marisabina Russo often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
A parent would reach for this book when their child feels overwhelmed by family dynamics, particularly in homes where volume and conflict are the primary modes of communication. This graphic memoir follows Marisabina, a girl growing up in 1950s Queens within a chaotic immigrant household shaped by secrets and competing identities. Her Jewish mother and Catholic father create a complex religious tug of war, while the shadow of the Holocaust and various family mysteries loom over their loud dinner table. It is a deeply honest exploration of how children navigate the confusing divide between their home life and their outside world. Parents will appreciate how it validates the feeling of being an outsider in one's own family while celebrating the personal resilience found through art and self-discovery. The 12 to 18 age range is appropriate given the mature themes of historical trauma and identity crises.
