SOLVED. Children's fantasy: men caught by spider queen, play game to escape, queen gives bracelet. [s]

[Gregg Carrier]

Limited information, only heard a portion read while I was grade school decades ago. For some reason I remember that one part I was read and it's driven me nuts for years. Heard it in the early 90s so it's likely 80s or the start of the 90s. I remember it had pictures as well.

The one section I was read had to do with an older man and a younger man who were captured by a spider queen. In order to get their freedom the older man challenges her to a type of board game. He pretends he doesn't know much about it but is actually very skilled, while the spider queen pretends she knows a lot while never having played it. I remember the game pieces had different colored gems in them and were worth different points because he has to point this out. The older man wins and the spider queen gifts them a bracelet for their victory, but as they leave she screams that they stole it in order to kill them.

[Michele]

What age would you day this was aimed at it -- first grade, third grade, sixth grade? Do you remember if the two men were related? What made the woman a "spider queen" -- Was she part spider, or could she control spiders? Do you recall anything about the cover? Roughly what year would you have read it?

[Gregg Carrier]

I was 7 or 8 at the time so it was 2nd-3rd grade and that would make it '93. Unsure about the two men's relationship. The woman was part spider, I think I remember a picture with one of those long spider arms handing off the bracelet and they were fair sized pictures. And there were spider minions so it was like a whole nest. Don't remember anything about the cover.

[SparksofEmber]

Wild guess but maybe The Spider's Palace and Other Stories?

A few example illustrations can be seen here.

Was it a picture book or a simple chapter book with illustrations?
Please change the query title to be more specific than "80s children's fantasy" - something like "men caught by spider queen, play game to escape, queen gives bracelet" - you'll get more views and better chances of this getting solved.

[Gregg Carrier]

doesn't look like it's Spider's Palace and other stories. It was a chapter book with illustrations and I think they were pretty nice illustrations. Full color.

[Ayshe]

Glim the Glorious maybe?
Searching inside the Google book he wins, made her spin a web, she gives Glim bracelet and screams: "Stop him! He's stolen my bracelet!".

[Gregg Carrier]

I recognize the old man on the cover all right. Yup, did some quick browsing and it looks like this is it.

Thanks much! Gonna place an order and get rid of this 2 decade long curiosity I've had.

Solved: Glim the Glamourous
Tried to shelve but didn't have a box to add to group shelves, may have missed it or maybe it's already there?

[SparksofEmber]

That was fast!! This can be moved to solved. Yay!

[Ayshe]

Gregg Carrier wrote: "...Solved: Glim the Glamourous
Tried to shelve but didn't have a box to add to group shelves, may have missed it or maybe it's already there?..."
Great! :) You can move it to Solved folder by clicking the "edit" next to the title (if you're not on mobile view) Mod can also move it, if you can't. They'll have to add it to the group shelves, others can't.