Ads for high-tech and flashy school supplies are flooding the ads and airwaves — and tempting your kids. How tell the useful from the useless?

We asked nine students, ages 7 to 17, to stop in and play with the hottest school supplies we could find.

As reluctant as they were about the looming semester, they took this responsibility seriously.

Not a marker was left capped. Not a binder unzipped.

And when class was dismissed, our panel told us exactly what they thought of our handpicked bounty.

What passed the test? What didn't make the grade?

HEAD OF THE CLASS

These items passed with flying colors.

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA TWISTABLES MARKERS, $3.99

Description: These capless wonders retract like a tube of lipstick.

Grade: A-

Although our testers approved, the biggest enthusiasts in the room were three moms and one reporter.

• PRODUCT: FIVE STAR SOUND GEAR BINDER, $29.99

Description: This zippered binder is souped up with speakers and an adapter so students can plug in their MP3 players (not included).

Grade: A-

Our panel approved of this product but questioned its practicality. "I couldn't use that," said Aniseto Herrera, a high school senior. "I'd get my iPod taken away. Plus, it (feels like) an extra 5 pounds on my binder, and I'd probably break it in two weeks the way I treat my binders." Eighth-grader Justin Carter, however, only found fault with the color — a vibrant Barbie pink. Other than that ... "You can use it anywhere, except hallways." And maybe the classroom.

• PRODUCT: ZWIPES VINYL BINDER, $7.55

Description: The plastic cover of this three-ring binder is re-writable, and the erasable ink doesn't wipe off on skin or clothes.

Grade: A

"This would have been good to have in middle school," Aniseto said. "Whenever I'd have a girlfriend, I could write, 'I love so-and-so' (on the binder), and then when we break up, I could erase it."

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA FLIP-TOP MARKERS, $3.99

Description: The markers in this six-pack are engineered with a track down the barrel for the caps to slide up and down so they're always attached.

Grade: A

Although cumbersome, the Flip-Tops were a favorite among our testers who often lose marker caps. "Usually you stuff the cap in your pencil bag when you're using a marker and then grab whatever cap is nearest," said Tommy O'Malley, a fifth-grader. "So you end up having the wrong color cap on a marker." Not so with these.

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA ULTIMATE CUTTER, $3.99

Description: This pivoting tool cuts anywhere on the page and has a hidden blade that won't slice skin or other items in a pencil bag.

Grade: A-

"I like this because you can push it down and cut," said Michael O'Malley, a second-grader. "With regular scissors you have to open and close a lot." Grace Laird, a second-grader, and Daniel Cook, a fifth-grader, agreed that the cutting tool worked better than traditional scissors.

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA HEADS 'N TAILS MARKERS, $3.99

Description: Each marker in the eight-pack includes two shades of a color, one on each end.

Grade: A

"I like it because it's two markers in one," said Emily Laird, a fourth-grader. 'Nuff said.

• PRODUCT: POST-IT NOTES FLASHCARDS

Description: Regular adhesive Post-its printed with multiplication drills, Spanish vocabulary, word-building and more.

Grade: B-

Most the students picked over these cards, unimpressed, but Emily thought they were a good learning tool. "You can stick them around your room and house and learn them all the time."

WALL OF LAME

Our panel gave these products poor marks.

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA GLUE ROLLER, $3.99

Description: This applicator with squeezable sides produces a 3/8-inch stream of purple glue that dries clear.

Grade: D

"It's hard to use because a lot of glue comes out at a time," Grace said.

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA AUDIO RULER, $5.99

Description: This talking measuring tool, when dragged across a surface, tells — in 1/8-inch increments — how far it traveled.

Grade: C

Once past the novelty of this product, the students found they preferred a good old-fashioned straight edge. "I don't like it as much as a regular ruler because it doesn't help me draw a straight line, and this could run out of batteries," one tester said.

• PRODUCT: CRAYOLA STAPLE-FREE STAPLER, $4.99

Description: This binding tool punches a small tab into the page that folds into a slot.

Grade: F

"It doesn't work as well as a real stapler," Tommy said, and the panel agreed.

• PRODUCT: MEN'S RELIC BAG, $40.80

Description: The flap of this messenger bag with a vintage camo pattern is attached by two metal buckles.

Grade: D

The students were drawn to its camouflage design — "It fits with my artsy, bohemian style," Aniseto said — but the metal details and weighty fabric made the bag too heavy to haul from class to class. Aniseto added that the buckles were too time-consuming to use.

• PRODUCT: OZARKA AQUAPOD BOTTLES, $2.99 FOR A SIX-PACK

Description: These egg-shaped 11-oz. water bottles are squat enough to fit in a lunch box.

Grade: D

Eleven ounces of water didn't do it for our panel. "I'm trying to make this bottle last," Aniseto said.

• PRODUCT: JANSPORT BACKPACK, $24.99

Description: Because skulls are everywhere this year, we thought kids would dig this bag's plum-and-violet skull pattern.

Grade: D

They didn't.

Join our discussion: High-tech school supplies: Worth it?