Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (Very Good, 1997, Pbk, 191 pages, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed.

It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial?

As a read-aloud or an independent read for second through fifth graders, Mary Poppins is a winner.