Ever wondered what would happen if Poe left his gloom and doom-hungry readers in the lurch to crack a few jokes? The answer is Poe's rare comedy in the form of "The Spectacles" (1844). The main character, a shortsighted and dim-witted fool (perhaps aptly) named Napoleon, inherits a large amount of money. Unfortunately, it turns out that his short-sightedness is as symbolic as it is literal, and it quickly becomes the reason behind a series of humorous...

"Marlon knows he's not the best player on his t-ball team, but he can't understand why he's striking out at the sport, especially when he tries so hard. Teammate Anna offers to practice with him and soon sees why Marlon can't focus"--

"Karen has to get glasses--two pairs! One pair for reading and one for all the time. Karen does not want glasses. Her school pictures are going to be taken soon! But Karen has to ... so she picks out some pretty pink and blue ones. Karen thinks she looks very grown-up. Then Yicky Ricky calls her Four-eyes. If Karen wears her glasses for the school picture, Ricky will make fun of her. But Karen is not a wimp! Glasses or no glasses--that Ricky is going...

"When Rex finds out he needs glasses, he's beyond miserable. Dealing with the bullies at school, his family being broke, and an embarrassing lack of friends, he has way too much on his plate already." -- Provided by publisher.

When Pedro keeps "losing" his eyeglasses, Katie shows him why it is alright--and necessary--to wear them.

"When Maisy's friend Ella has trouble seeing numbers on the board at preschool, the two go together to Dr. Flamingo the optometrist's office to have their eyes tested. Pirate Maisy has fun wearing an eyepatch and naming all the things she can see in a picture on the wall. But when it's Ella's turn, everything inside the picture looks blurry. Oh dear! Luckily, Dr. Flamingo is there to take care of her, with a special machine that looks inside her eyes...

His friends tease Arthur when he gets glasses, but he soon learns to wear them with pride.

When she gets glasses, Heidi's friend Lucy gets a lot of attention at school, and eight-year-old Heidi decides that she must have glasses too, until her Aunt Trudy helps her to see that she really does not need them.

A young girl who hates her glasses learns to appreciate them after spending a day without them. Includes note to parents.

Arthur's little sister wants to wear glasses like her brother and tries to prove she needs them.