Don't buy anything until you need it!!!
First of all, have you ever been in a small aeroplane? You never know - you might not like it. Ok, so you probably will, but just on the off-chance you don't, there's no point wasting money.
Second point, you don't know what you'll need. There are two sets of books which almost everyone studies from, and if you ask which one is best everyone will tell you that the one they used is best. That's why I'd suggest you use whichever set of books your instructor recommends. Neither is better than the other, and if you get the set your instructor knows best, he'll be best placed to help you if you get stuck.
That doesn't just apply to books, either. There are a multitude of different types of protractors out there - square ones, rectangular ones, round ones, ones with extra funky features.... Once you're at the point of your training where you need one (which probably won't be until at least 15-20 hours, after you've gone solo), sit down with your instructor and let him demonstrate each of them to you, and you can decide which one suits you best. The same with pens - I like medium-sized permanent markers to write on my charts, others prefer the fine-point pens, others swear by chinagraph pencils - you have no idea at this stage which would suit you. Some people like large A4-size kneeboards, I find the cockpit cramped with a large kneeboard and I prefer a smaller A5 one. The list is endless.
Basically, my advice would be to not buy anything until you really need it. When you need it, look at all the options and decide what's best. Then find the cheapest place to buy it (although, compared to the total cost of flying, any saving you'll find will be negligable.) If your school tries to shove a huge package of stuff in your face on your first lesson, find another school!
Good luck, and have fun!
FFF
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