Author James R. Hannibal visits Denver Academy

On Monday, November 20, through a partnership with Tattered Cover book store, author James R. Hannibal visited Denver Academy and spoke with elementary and middle school students. The author discussed his page-turning adventure series and helped students brainstorm a group story. His talked about writing his books The Lost Property Office and The Fourth Ruby.

Mr. Hannibal shared that he always wanted to be a writer, but didn't know how to structure his stories. He shared an Orphan, Wanderer, Soldier, Hero story structure with students and helped them brainstorm their own creative story about Harriet the Hedgehog, a poor hedgehog who works in a coffee shop and trying to put her three children through college. When one of Harriet's kids is kidnapped by the evil Patrick the Pig and Patrick and his pig friends are flooding the city, Harriet has no choice but to tap into her secret hedgehog powers and fight back.

 

Hannibal said, "Writing a story is like writing a song," and he spoke about being a synesthete--his synesthesia causes him to see the world in many colors and textures.