Another school year is about to start, and with it, a whole new set of must-have items for students.

At the top of many kids' lists, no doubt, is an enV2 cell phone so they can text their friends between classes. Or, if they're a little older, they might be begging for an Apple iTouch on which they can listen to music, play video games or surf the Web while they're waiting for the bus.

But what if you're looking for something a little more school-related, not to mention affordable? Here are a few suggestions that won't break the bank:

• If your elementary school-age child packs his lunch, he probably could use the "right" lunch box. This year, that means one that immortalizes his favorite TV or movie star or superhero. Among the best-selling soft lunch boxes at Lunchboxes.com are ones that feature Hannah Montana, Batman and Wall-E ($13.95).

• Or maybe she'd like to show her personality (and keep her books clean and tidy) with a stretchable fabric book cover. In addition to colorful prints and solids, Booksox.com offers scented covers that your child can scratch and sniff as well as ones that change color when you touch them ($3.69 each). All are washable. For older children, the Five Star Sound Binder from Mead ($29.99) is sure to turn heads. It comes with built-in light speakers for an MP3 player or a portable DVD player.

• When it comes to carrying books to and from school, a quilted tote bag ($46) from handbag designer Vera Bradley is all the rage among style-conscious middle-schoolers. Two of the more popular designs include the retro Puccini and Night Owl totes. To keep them -- and everything else your child lugs to school -- safe in her locker, consider a Wordlock. These user-friendly padlocks ($9.99 at Amazon.com, Target and Kmart) allow kids to set their combinations using words instead of numbers. They come in black, pink, silver and red.

• Help them organize their lockers with a Pack-It Locker storage system from Pottery Barn Teen ($49; www.pbteen.com). It includes a dry-erase board with pen, storage pockets, mirror and a metal locker shelf in a coordinating color. A little less expensive, but just as cool, are personalized locker magnets from Zazzle.com ($1.45-$1.95) or Personalizationmall.com ($4.95-$12.95).

• Finally, when it comes to storing homework or transferring writing assignments, flash drives have moved from optional to required tools on many school lists this year. The Omnitech 1GB USB Flash Drive ($9.99 at Staples) comes with a soft, rubberized surface in black, magenta and blue and it is PC and Mac compatible.