This was a kids’ picture book from the late 70s or early 80s (probably 4/5th grade reading level, 32ish page length, not just a simple picture book but not chapter or young adult) level. The premise is that two friends (I think they were two girls, might have been just one) show up at a house for a Halloween party, They think it’s the right house, but upon getting inside, are met with another girl who I *think* was wearing some kind of a spider costume – she might even have been named “spider”. They proceed to go to the basement (which I don’t remember being a scary development). At some point they swap costumes (possibly against the will of the girl who showed up to the house). The girl who came to the house doesn’t want to be there, and eventually finds a way to escape/leave. Important to underscore that even though it sounds a bit this way,the tone of the book isn’t scary or sinister – more just a vibe of “strange” and “oddball”. A fun little Halloween story that I vaguely remember and am desperate for help locating!
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
If this is the same book I have been thinking about – the plot involves a girl on her way to a costume party in a princess dress I believe; instead of the party she ends up in a briar patch where a witch lives and takes her prisoner. The witch’s daughter’s name is Spider and she has a spider-like costume on. She agrees to help the girl escape if she will trade her princess costume; the girl agrees and Spider helps her; she later wears Spider’s outfit to the party.
I read it in the 90s at my grandparents’ house and can clearly remember the illustrations…I thought the title made some allusion to the briar patch or witch but haven’t found anything so far. Hopefully it’s the same one and a little extra information can jog someone’s memory!
I think I found it!
The Thorn Witch by EJ Taylor
YES! This is it! Thank you – this has been bugging me on and off for the better part of 20 years!
THANK YOU! I just spent about an hour googling variants of ‘girl, spider, briars, thicket, bramble, witch…” because I had a vague but very persistent memory of this book! This is such a great resource, too. Solved a fifteen year mystery!