I'd given modest support to Cambridge University Spaceflight, a group of students bent on exploring space with balloons and rockets. My gift was fortuitous because the University promptly doubled the sum, since they had shown ability to raise funds elsewhere. The students decided to give me a gesture of thanks by flying one of my recently published children's science fiction books to the edge of space.
I went to the launch of their Nova balloon and watched them attach a copy of my "Dark Visitor" to an arm suspended from below the balloon. I filmed the take-off as it ascended toward the heavens, slowly at first, then gathering speed until it disappeared from sight. The students had equipment to monitor its flight, it's altitude, velocity and location, among other data. The purpose of the flight was research; my book was just an additional passenger.
The balloon took it to an altitude of 32km, or 105,000 feet, above 99% of the atmosphere. When the balloon burst, a parachute successfully brought back its payload, including its cameras, data recorder, and my book. They later presented me with magnificent photos of my book, set against the total blackness of space, and with the huge blue and white curve of the Earth below it. Wow! Not many authors have had that done.