Perry and the Leviathan
What happens when you're 11 years old and your dad the king tells you it's time to prove your worth by bringing back a Leviathan's heart? In this episode, Perry introduces himself: he's 11, living in the underwater city of Atlantis, and strange stuff has been happening. One gloomy night, everybody is woken with a sudden bang. The next morning, soldiers call Perry to the throne room. His dad's face shows horror. 'Now you're 11 years old, it's time to prove your worth to be king.' His dad gives him a Trident and a companion for his journey. It's a squid. Perry's not impressed: 'What can a squid possibly do for me?' But the quest is clear: a Leviathan has been terrorising Atlantis for many years. Bring its heart back. Perry reaches the cave. Wrecked ships crushed by the Leviathan send him into shivers, but he faces his fears. Inside, the Leviathan with black scaly skin and bulging eyes attacks. Perry sends a crashing wave. The Leviathan sends a tornado back, throwing Perry against the wall. Weakened, Perry remembers his special seaweed that covers his eyes and unlocks his powers. He sends a crashing wave trapping the Leviathan for 5 billion years. 'But will he find a way to escape before then?' Perry returns to the palace. His dad thought he'd failed, but smiles when Perry shows him the Leviathan's heart. They celebrate with a very welcome pizza party. Epic, self-aware (that cliffhanger question!), and structured with clear chapter progression, this is a story about proving yourself, facing fears despite seeing the wreckage of those who failed before you, and the universal truth that even underwater kingdoms celebrate victories with pizza. This story proves "The only superpower you need is imagination." About the Story Story Type: Heroic quest with coming-of-age trial Themes: Proving worth, facing fears, father-son expectations, power unlocked through special items, legacy and responsibility Setting: Atlanta (throne room, city), Leviathan's cave (with wrecked ships) Why This Story Matters This author has created something with remarkable emotional intelligence: the moment Perry sees wrecked ships crushed by the Leviathan before entering the cave. That's understanding that heroes face fears knowing others failed. Those ships aren't background decoration, they're evidence that this quest kills people. And Perry chooses to continue anyway. Notice the self-awareness in that cliffhanger: 'But will he find a way to escape before then?' The author knows they're leaving a narrative hook. They're aware of sequel potential. They're thinking about stories beyond this one. The relationship with his father is psychologically authentic: horror on dad's face (he's sending his 11-year-old son to potential death), dad giving gifts to help (Trident, squid companion), dad's face when Perry returns (thought he'd failed, relief when shown the heart). That's a father struggling between duty to kingdom and love for son. When children are given complete creative autonomy, they write stories where: Evidence of previous failures adds weight to current quest Special items unlock powers at crucial moments (seaweed) Skepticism about gifts proves wrong (we never learn what squid does, but Perry takes it) Victory isn't instant (thrown against wall, becomes weak, has to remember special item) Celebration includes pizza (even underwater kingdoms love pizza) Story awareness (cliffhanger questions, chapter structure) That detail about trapping the Leviathan for 5 billion years is brilliant. Not killing it. Trapping it. Perry completed his quest (bring back the heart) but the creature is imprisoned, not dead. That's a different kind of victory with different consequences. About StoryQuest⢠StoryQuest is a validated methodology that achieves 100% engagement across all learners, including reluctant writers, boys, and students with SEND. The approach is simple but profound: give children complete creative autonomy over something that truly matters to them. Resources & Links Bring StoryQuest to Your School: Visit my-storyquest.com to download the curriculum guide and discover how your students can become published authors. Start Friday Night Storytelling at Home: Download Gabriel's StoryQuest Family Kit at theadventuresofgabriel.com Read Gabriel's Adventures: The international #1 bestselling series that started it all, co-authored by Kate Markland and her son Gabriel Khan. Available at theadventuresofgabriel.com Connect with Kate: Website: katemarkland.com Share This Episode Know a teacher struggling with reluctant writers? A parent whose child says 'writing is boring'? A school leader looking for proven literacy solutions? Share this episode with them. Because every child has a story. And when we give them the freedom to tell it, extraordinary things happen. Keywords Child authors, creative writing for children, literacy education, reluctant writers, StoryQuest, student engagement, children's storytelling, authentic writing, educational innovation, child-led learning, Atlantis, Leviathan, underwater quest, coming of age, heroic journey, Trident, sea monster, Bradford UK, UK education, December Story Celebration Next Episode Subscribe to Stories Without Borders to hear more incredible stories from children around the world who discovered their voices through StoryQuest. Tomorrow: Another story from our December Story Celebration, 31 stories over 31 days. Production: StoryQuest "When given complete creative control, children don't just create great stories, they discover their voice. And that voice deserves to be heard." - Kate Markland