The Secret Remedy Book

The Secret Remedy Book:
A Story of Comfort and Love

Cates book is a rather contemporary book of remedies that are designed to focus ones attention on activities other than their own sadness or feelings. Wendy Halperin created nostalgic In many earlier days families, particularly midwifes or tribal medicine men, had remedies that were thought to cure many diseases and illnesses. For centuries people have relied on herbs and teas and onions to cure various illnesses. Jacqueline Briggs Martin wrote about about Sarah Bryant, an eight-year-old girl who lived two hundred years ago on a farm in Maine. When the barn burns down and Sarah's dog Patches is caught in the fire she begins to have bad dreams. Nothing her parents do helps Sarah get over these nightmares. So she goes to live with her Grandmother and Grandfather Bryant. Grandmother Bryant is a healer and Grandfather Bryant a whittler. In Grandmother Bryant's Pockets Grandmother shares some of those old time remedies with Sarah. Learn more about the book and about those remedies by reading Martin's book and by visiting the author's book page on her web site.

Grandmother Bryant's Pocket by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Petra Mathers. (Houghton Mifflin, 1996).

 
 


Connections:

  • Auntie Zep went to the attic and located a trunk inside of which was a book of remedies that helped Ollie get through her home sickness. Use the book's list of "7 Secret Remedies" to keep yourself active. A complete list is on the final page of the book.
  • Make your own list of "7 Secret Remedies."
  • If you want to create your own book of "Secret Remedies" -- get a scrap piece of wallpaper (from an earlier wallpaper project or from an outdated wallpaper book from a local wallpaper store) and cut the piece of wallpaper into a rectangle of 9 1/2 inches by 12 inches. Fold the piece of wall paper in half to make a cover for a booklet. The booklet cover will be 4 3/4 inches by 6 inches high. Then:
      • Take four sheets of regular typing/copy paper and fold the pages in half to make an eight page booklet. The folded pages will be 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches. These pages are referred to as the "guts" of the booklet.

      • Lay the guts of the booklet inside the wallpaper cover (you could create a hard cover if you wish by covering a piece of cardboard) and then sew a strong string or yarn down in and out of the creased section to bind the book together.

      • On the first page put a title "My Secret Remedy Book."

      • On each of the following right hand pages put the numerals -- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th. Each of the left-hand side of the pages will be blank (for decorating as you wish) and the final back page will also be blank.

      • Each letter can be a brilliant or muted color or you can make each of your numerals bubble letters and create a design inside each numeral. The numerals can be created in a plaid design or a floral design or any design you choose.

      • Copy either Aunt Zep's remedies into the booklet and decorate the pages so the book is an attractive book to use or give to a friend who needs some remedies OR create some of your own remedies on each of the pages.


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