My son needed a new backpack this year, and had one requirement: black. I showed him the picture on Amazon and he gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. This is a great little backpack. It is big enough to hold school supplies (notebook, folder, lunchbox, library books and balled up sweatshirt), with a side pouch for a water bottle, and a little pocket on the strap that could be used to hold a small phone or iPod for an older child...yet this pack is compact and sleek enough not to be bulky on his 2nd grade frame. The straps are cut narrower without feeling flimsy, and padded. The middle compartment has pencil holders and small interior organizing pockets. His previous pack didn't last 4 months until I had to put patches in the bottom. So far, no big holes, but a the material is starting to wear thin in one spot. I wish the bottoms of these packs were reinforced, which is why I don't LOVE it. Kids are growing up so fast these days, and this pack is more grown-up looking without being too "adult" yet small and light enough for a younger child. My son absolutely loves it.