I bought this for my daughter to use in kindergarten. She is now entering 4th grade and still using it. It has held up very well. It gets used as an overnight bag, book bag, whatever! The 2 front pockets are very versatile, but not overdone (some backpacks go wild with the "compartment" thing). This one is also a good size for small-framed kids. It still fits my 9yo nicely. No need to upgrade just yet.
I looked at all different types of backpacks before deciding on this one for my 5 year old. I liked the size (not too big but not too small) and that it was comfortable. I also liked that it didn't have those snap clips like many of the backpacks do. My daughter has trouble with those and that was a huge factor in deciding on this one. I do wish it had that water bottle pocket on the side that someone mentioned. Otherwise, it really is a great pack.
My son is VERY hard on stuff. This back shows the true quality of LL Bean products. My son carried this bag from Kindergarten through 2nd grade. The bag is still in GREAT shape and he would carry it longer, but I just bought him the Original Book Pack for this year. I bought 2, one for his little brother. I would hand down the Junior to him, but that's the great thing about monogramming, he gets out of this hand-me-down because it has his brothers name on it. :) I highly recommend this bag for any student! This bag would make a great diaper bag for toddlers, then can go to school with them!
