
The Yard Next Door
Book 1
Free Garden Mission →The first story arc · Books 1–10
Follow Julian from the yard next door to a growing community. Each book has its own free Garden Mission, and every beginning can fit a different place.

Book 1
Free Garden Mission →
Book 2
Free Garden Mission →
Book 3
Free Garden Mission →
Book 4
Free Garden Mission →
Book 5
Free Garden Mission →
Book 6
Free Garden Mission →
Book 7
Free Garden Mission →
Book 8
Free Garden Mission →
Book 9
Free Garden Mission →
Book 10
Free Garden Mission →
Book 1
Julian's school lunch looks tired. His lawn is quiet. But the yard next door rustles, blooms, and buzzes. After days of curious peeking, Hugo invites him to discover a food forest: a carefully planned garden with food for people and room for other life. Could one tiny tomato seed be Julian's beginning? A warm, funny story for ages 6–9, with a supervised seed-growing mission and clear introductions to food forests and permaculture.
Try together: Start a Seed Corner
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Book 2
Julian's tomato is outgrowing its pot, and his little garden is outgrowing a one-person plan. Antonello joins in, Jean Paul brings a sketchbook, and the three friends discover the busy world below their shoes. A funny story about soil, taking turns, and making room for ideas, with a supervised Soil Look mission.
Try together: A Soil Look
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Book 3
The Corner Crew has an enormous idea: a food forest at school. Before they can pitch it, they must find sunshine, keep room for games, and answer some surprisingly useful questions. A hopeful story about children being heard and turning an idea into a manageable beginning, with a family-friendly place-planning mission.
Try together: Make a Place Plan
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Book 4
Gino brings carrot peelings to the new school garden and expects a quick recipe. Compost has a different schedule. With the Corner Crew and their grown-up helpers, he learns to sort carefully, watch small changes, and give useful things more time. Includes a safe picture-sorting Garden Mission.
Try together: Sort for Compost
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Book 5
Adrianna notices a bee, and the Corner Crew begins looking at the school garden differently. Could flowers make room for lives beyond their own? An inviting story about pollinators, careful observation, and sharing space, with a safe, no-touch Pollinator Pause mission.
Try together: A Pollinator Pause
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Book 6
Antonello spots a floppy leaf and declares a tiny emergency. Ana-Emilia wants to look first. Together, the crew discovers why different plants and places need different care, and how a little mulch can help. Includes a supervised, plant-free comparison mission.
Try together: The Mulch Look
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Book 7
Antonio brings a magnifier and a big mystery to the garden. A missing piece of leaf does not come with the culprit's name. With the crew, he learns to check the whole plant, question a guess, and choose help thoughtfully. Includes a safe Leaf Clue Journal mission.
Try together: Leaf Clue Journal
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Book 8
The school garden has grown, and its first map needs to change. Catalina brings her container-gardening experience and an important question: who can reach the plants? A welcoming story about garden layers, thoughtful access, and leaving space for the future, with a paper-based planning mission.
Try together: A Plan with Room
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Book 9
A new growing season brings the crew's first community tasting. The harvest is modest, the jobs are many, and everyone has a different way to help. A warm story about food's journey, safe preparation, and fair sharing, with a drawing mission that works whether or not a family grows its own food.
Try together: A Food Story
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Book 10
A seed in one patio corner has grown into friendships, a school pilot, and questions worth sharing. Now families and other schools want to begin. The crew discovers that good ideas travel, while every place needs its own plan. The hopeful first-arc finale of The Food Forest Kids, with a supervised sharing mission.
Try together: Share a Small Beginning
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