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Back to school: What gear is cool?

The Floating Shelf is available at Staples and was designed by students at two middle schools who were chosen to work in teams to come up with school supplies of their own for the company's new Designed by Students Collection.
The Floating Shelf is available at Staples and was designed by students at two middle schools who were chosen to work in teams to come up with school supplies of their own for the company's new Designed by Students Collection. The Floating Shelf is available at Staples and was designed by students at two middle schools who were chosen to work in teams to come up with school supplies of their own for the company's new Designed by Students Collection.

By Associated Press 4 min read

For kids of all ages, one big thing helps soften the blow of summer turning into fall: fresh and fun back-to-school gear.

Supplies with popular licensed characters from movies, TV shows and books always make a splash among younger kids, while older ones contemplate design and functionality for everything from middle-school lockers to dorm rooms.

This year, little yellow Minions have their own feature-length film spinoff from the “Despicable Me” franchise, and have surfaced on backpacks and notebooks available at Target.

A new take on Charlie Brown in another theatrical release, “The Peanuts Movie” due out in November, might have something to do with two choices in Snoopy-theme soft lunch bags from Target.

At Staples, students at two middle schools will see the fruits of their labor hit shelves. They were chosen to work in teams to come up with school supplies of their own for the company’s new Designed by Students Collection.