The 2008 National Year of Reading at Manchester Academy kicked off on 11th April 2008 with the release of 2000 balloons. 

Students wrote the name and a description of their favourite book on to balloon tickets and then asked for anyone who found the balloon to write back with a book recommendation.

The first ticket was returned from Cheshire and so a "through-the-air' dialogue had begun.

Some tickets were returned from as far away as Cumbria and West Yorkshire!