My eighth-grade daughter carries a backpack to and from school that weighs about 40 pounds. (Yes, I weighed it!) 
Because her school has no lockers and she doesn't want to leave her books in her desk in the classroom when she travels to other rooms for other subjects, she takes everything she owns with her all day long. We bought her the biggest backpack available last year, and many days she could not zip it closed.
I don't think things will be any different this school year. With several teachers requiring three- or five-subject notebooks, the bag is pretty full before any textbooks are added. And she got one of those new binders this year that has to be four inches thick. I have no idea where she'll keep that; she might have to carry it separately.
I've seen Boy Scouts headed to camp for a week with smaller backpacks than she carries. One of these days she might tip over, just from the weight of it. I'm really hoping that this year she'll only bring home what she needs for that evening's homework. It's a good thing she doesn't walk far from the bus stop.
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