Social anxiety heating up? 

Time to cool down and break the ice with some small talk.

Which potentially awkward moment stresses you out the most?

1. You are the first person at your office party.  It’s just you and *nervous cough* the new employee whose name escapes you.
2. You are at a family dinner and you can sense the conversation is taking a negative turn.
3. Your kiddo doesn’t want to go to the party because he knows he’ll have to talk with other kids.
4. ALL OF THE ABOVE!

 

This is where the benefits of small talk kick in. 

Small talk serves as a vital social tool to establish trust, build rapport, create a more pleasant environment, and lay the groundwork for deeper relationships in personal and professional settings. Small talk is simply light, informal conversation, often focusing on neutral topics like the weather or current events. Small talk helps you connect with others. It also provides the following psychological benefits:

• Increased positive emotions and experiences
• Reduced isolation
• A greater sense of well-being by fostering connection
• Building social bonds

Small talk isn’t just for the “big kids”.  Small talk helps children develop essential social and communication skills, such as empathy, active listening, and turn-taking, by providing a casual, low-pressure environment to practice connecting with others. 

Keep reading to learn more about the materials at your Yorktown Public Library that are packed with interesting facts that are sure to be good ice breakers for the kiddos to try.

 

IN THE CHILDREN’S COLLECTION

 

Cool Football Facts by Kathryn Clay

The National Football League uses more than 6,000 footballs every season. Want to know other cool football facts? Check out this book. It's a touch down!

 

Fun Facts About Farm Equipment by Ray H. Miller

This book is packed with facts about various machinery often used on a farm.

 

Guin­ness ­World Record­s 2017

Guinness World Records 2017 is bursting with all-new records on topics as diverse as black holes, domes, owls, and killer plants. Want to know the highest anyone has travelled on a skateboard, or the largest loop-the-loop completed in a car? Dying to know just how many tricks a cat can do in one minute? The answers to these questions and so much more are right inside.

 

Fun Facts about Farm Animals by Carol Benanti

This book offers fun facts about the animals you might find on a farm including ducks, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and many more!

 

Roar! 100 Fun Fact­s about African An­i­mals by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

Explore the amazing animals of Africa! Travel through the savanna, jungle, and desert to meet lions, elephants, giraffes, and more animals in this leveled reader about the most popular African safari animals that's perfect for advanced readers.  Packed with weird-but-true facts and tons of animal info, this Level 3 Reader tours the diverse grasslands, watering holes, rain forests, and deserts of Africa. Get up close to some of the most amazing animals in Africa, including big cats, crocs, pangolins, hippos, rhinos, elephants, and more.

 

Small talk is a great way to build rapport and relationships in both social and professional settings. 

Read on for a sampling of materials to check out at your Yorktown Public Library.  Peruse our catalog for even more reading material options on this topic.

 

IN THE ADULT COLLECTION

 

The Great American History Fact-Finder by Ted Yanak

More than 2,000 entries on people, places, issues, and events--conveniently arranged in a single A-to-Z sequence--cover the spectrum of American society, culture, and history.

 

 The World Almanac and Book of Facts: 2024

The 2024 edition of The World Almanac reviews the biggest events of 2023 and will be your go-to source for questions on any topic in the upcoming year. The World Almanac and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs effortlessly.

 

ON THE LIBBY APP

 

What the Fact by Gabe Henry (eBook)

This illustrated daily trivia almanac explores a bizarre moment through the ages for each day of the year.  Drawing on a range of subjects including politics, sports, the arts, pop culture, and more, this book offers the opportunity to learn something new and stranger every day.

 

Smal­l Talk: Learn­ing from My Chil­dren About What Matter­s Most by Julia Amy Becker (eBook)

Almost every day, one of Amy Julia's children says something or asks something that prompts her to think more carefully. These conversations deepen her relationships with her children, but they also deepen and refine her own understanding of what she believes, why she believes it, and what she hopes to pass along to the next generation.

 

A Stinky His­to­ry of Toi­let­s: Flush with­ Fun Fact­s and Dis­gust­ing Dis­cov­er­ies by Olivia Meikle    

You sit on it every day, but how much do you really know about your toilet? Discover the history of toilet behavior in this frankly disgusting nonfiction book.

 

The Smal­l Talk Hand­book: Easy In­struc­tion­s on How ­to Make S­mal­l Talk in Any Si­t­u­a­tion by Melissa Wadsworth (eBook)

There's a difference between communicating effectively and making small talk. Even if you have no fear of public speaking, you might still stumble over simple conversation when chatting with your superior, unexpectedly running into a friend, or breaking the ice with someone you just met. This book lays down the basics to engaging chitchat and teaches you how to enliven your personal and professional communication.

 

Better Small Talk Techniques by Drew Culby (audio book)

Many of us dread small talk and shy away from it as much as possible. But whether we like it or not, there's no way we can escape small talk because it is part of everyday interactions. Humans are social creatures and we use conversation as our way to emotionally connect with each other. You are about to learn the techniques to gracefully jumpstart a conversation with anyone in any situation through the art of small talk.

 

The Art of Small Talk: Go Shallow to Go Deep by Casey Wilson (audio book)

Prepare to be schooled in the art of conversation by dynamic duo Casey Wilson and Jessica St. Clair. Dismissing the notion that small talk is a painful social obligation, these self-proclaimed small talk maestros share their gift of gab in this laugh-out-loud and instructive audiobook.

 

How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes (audio book)

You've admired successful people who seem to have it all, seen them chatting confidently at parties and being listened to in business meetings. With Leil Lowndes's easy and effective techniques, you will discover how to become a master communicator in life, love, and business sizes; work a party the way a politician works a room; and always come across confident, credible, and charismatic wherever you are.

 

With practice, you will gain confidence and get better at breaking the ice.   

Visit your Yorktown Public Library and explore big options for small talk!