Safa F and the Volcano under the Playground
What if your school playground was hiding something far more dangerous than leftover Year 4 packed lunches? What if beneath the tire swing and sandpit, an ancient volcano was waiting to erupt, and only one 11-year-old prefect stood between chaos and catastrophe?
Meet Safa F: excellent student, suspiciously high attendance record, lava-resistant, and possibly Earth's last hope. When seismic tremors start shaking Greenwell Primary, SF and her sidekick Scorch (a tiny dragon disguised as a guinea pig) must descend beneath the playground to face an obsidian tablet, a glowing red button, and an ancient choice that could save, or doom, her entire school.
Told in the style of a top-secret case file with timestamps, emergency checklists, and the kind of deadpan British humour that makes volcanic disasters feel almost routine, this story is pure creative brilliance from a young author who understands that the best adventures happen in the most ordinary places.
About the Story
Written by: SF (author's chosen name)
Story Type: Secret agent meets volcanic disaster, case-file format
Themes: Hidden heroism, responsibility, courage under pressure, the extraordinary lurking beneath the ordinary
Setting: Greenwell Primary School playground—and the ancient volcanic chamber beneath it
Key Elements:
- Hybrid narrative format: case file + school report + incident log
- Timestamps and emergency protocols
- A guinea pig who's secretly a dragon
- Ancient tests passed down through generations
- Teachers who've "seen worse in the nineties"
- The ultimate temptation: a glowing red button with a sign that says "do not press"
Why This Story Matters
Safa F created something genuinely unique, a story format we've never seen before in StoryQuest workshops. Case files. Timestamps. Emergency checklists. Cave drawings warning of burnt homework. This is what happens when a child discovers their creative preferences, what we call "The My Type Phenomenon."
Resources & Links
Bring StoryQuest to Your School:
Visit my-storyquest.com to download the curriculum guide and see how your students can become published authors with 100% engagement.
Start Friday Night Storytelling at Home:
Download Gabriel's StoryQuest Family Kit at theadventuresofgabriel.com
Read Gabriel's Adventures:
The international #1 bestselling series co-authored by Kate Markland and her son Gabriel Khan. Available at theadventuresofgabriel.com
Connect with Kate:
Website: katemarkland.com
Email: [email protected]
Share This Episode
Know a headteacher worried about engaging reluctant writers? A Year 6 teacher wondering how to inspire genuine creativity? A parent whose child insists "writing is boring"?
Share SF's story with them. Because this is what's possible when we stop teaching storytelling and start trusting storytellers.
Keywords
Child authors, creative writing, case file format, volcano adventure, school stories, guinea pig dragon, StoryQuest methodology, student engagement, reluctant writers, creative autonomy, literacy innovation, UK primary schools, children's storytelling, authentic writing
Bonus Detail You'll Love
SF added "geo supervision to her prefect duties and now carries a fire extinguisher in her lunchbox."
Because when you're on permanent volcano watch, you come prepared.
Next Episode
Subscribe to Stories Without Borders to hear more extraordinary stories from children around the world who discovered that their imagination is the only superpower they need.
"This is my type of story. This is what I want to create." — The My Type Phenomenon