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In Massachusetts, a battle is raging over the weight of student backpacks with books in them, and one state representative has proposed lmits–while yet another warns that the more important issue is something else: getting enough books for the kids. E-books, of course, could address both questions. A Boston Globe story passes on a child’s perspective among others:

Danielle Dickerman, a Sharon Middle School seventh-grader, is one of those still struggling to lighten her load. She estimates that she carries three to four books and binders home daily.

“Every once in a while, my back and my shoulders hurt. It’s kind of a sharp pain,” said Danielle, 12, who is 4-foot-11 and weighs 90 pounds. “When I am waiting for the bus in the morning, I get really tired holding it.”

The Globe says: “The American Chiropractic Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association suggest that students should carry no more than 10 percent of their body weight: For a child who weighs 100 pounds, for example, that’s less than 10 pounds.”

 
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