Katya’s books are always adventurous and filled with courageous characters. The Thames and Tide Club is the first book in a new series from award winning Katya Balen.
Mudlarking pals, Clem, Ash and Zara, find themselves in a rather strange adventure. When Clem discovers a magical item, it must be returned to the river and along with it go the mudlarks. They must work together to save Underwater London. Travelling through the river into an alternate world is strange but this story is written with such heart. Clem is a brilliant character and one I can’t wait to get to know better. I am already looking forward to book two!

What a delightful little read and looking forward to seeing what more this series will bring! I’m a huge Katya Balen fan so was nice to have something aimed at younger readers that I could read with my children. They loved delving into the underground water world and see what adventures awaited them!

I've not read anything by this author before but I know she has produced some very well reviewed books so I was excited to read this first installment in a new series.

London is slowly falling apart with cracks appearing in the city and extreme weather events taking place more frequently, so the Thames Tide Club (a group of mudlarkers of all different ages and backgrounds) set out to investigate. They are pulled into a magical world under the Thames and have to work to solve the mystery of what is causing all the problems in their city.

A great combination of humour and fantasy with some lovely descriptions and interesting writing - I enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more in the series.

Having read and enjoyed some of Katya Balen’s other books, I was quite hopeful for this one and it didn’t disappoint.

It was well written with beautiful illustrations and took me on a journey filled with adventure around London with some really likeable characters.

I think some of our younger students would really enjoy the humour and action in this book and I was pleased to read that this will be part of a series. Looking forward to reading the others.

I love magic. I love mudlarking. I love London. What more could I want from a book? So happy to see that this is going to be a series and what a lovely troop of characters and a perfect adventure as London begins to crack through the middle!

Easy to read with action that starts quickly and keeps up a good pace throughout, this is a delightful start to a new series for younger readers. I liked the Mudlark club and the diverse cast of characters all worked well together. Clem, Ash and Zara are great and the secret city under the Thames that they discover was quite fun.. Overall I liked this, although not as much as her books for older readers, and will look out for the next in the series.

Who can possibly resist a beautifully illustrated cover like this? I had no idea what to expect from this colourful middle-grade other than perhaps a strong environmental message and a whimsical adventure. I think that pretty much sums it up!

Clem, Ash, Zara and several others go mudlarking on the banks of the Thames every weekend. They often find old, strange and interesting things but this time Clem has found something magical. Something that belongs to the sea and the sea wants it back. Can Clem and her friends return it to its rightful place before their world starts to fall apart?

Rachael Dean provides the delightful illustrations throughout the book and they never failed to make me smile. They certainly bring the characters and the world-building to life and made me laugh in several places.

This map of the Undercity of London will definitely make young readers laugh with the marine-themed renaming of some of London’s most famous landmarks and areas. The imagination from both Balen and Dean in this story is amazing and they’re both clearly made for producing children’s books.

Although I know what mudlarking is, I’ve never really read much about it or looked very far into what it actually involves. I really think that this story does a great job of introducing the wonders of never knowing what you might find to children and its role in helping clean up the rivers might just inspire some of them to try it out for themselves.

The club is run by an eccentric old man called Oswald who has a pet iguana called Gerald. In some ways, Oswald is very much your standard, strange OAP from a children’s story but he does have a certain magical quality to him. I’m sure his background will be explored more in future books in the series (if it’s a series?) but I’m pretty sure he has some exciting secrets!

I really enjoyed exploring the vivid Undercity with Clem, Ash and Zara. It mirrors London but of course it’s underwater, so everything has a fishy-esque name. I really liked how the connection between the two cities were made -as in if something bad happens to the land version of London, the effects will ripple down into the Undercity. It emphasised that anything we do on land can make an impact on the other worlds that exist alongside ours i.e. the rivers and ocean life. It was another strong reminder of the real, far-reaching effects of our own actions and treatment of our environment.

There is plenty of humour in the book too. Considering it’s a very quick read, Balen managed to pack plenty of jokes in there that will make even adults at least giggle. Although the Lord High Protector’s attire is a tragic reminder of how polluted our waters are, it’s still hilarious to hear him insist that he be referred to as ‘Oh Snaily One’, as if that’s an honourable title!

The Thames and Tide Club is a fast, whimsical adventure about the importance of restoring balance by returning things to where they should be. It’s also a funny, enlightening look at the damage that humans are doing to the whole other worlds and ecosystems sitting beside our own and a big celebration of those who do their best to look after them.

A quick and fun read aimed at younger readers, this was not quite what I was expecting but I rather loved it all the same. A fantasy-underwater adventure, I loved the characters in this and was impressed with how well-developed the author made them in such a short piece of writing. The world-building was also fabulous! Reading this reminded me of the underwater scenes from Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

A new type of book from Katya Balen, an adventure story for children. Full of twists, turns & clever fishy references, a new one to add to any child’s bookshelf.

So far I’ve worked out if you see a boom is written by Katya Balen you’re onto a good thing! Another fabulously written book with a cracking original storyline. Loved reading every page.

I have only recently discovered this author through October October which was utterly beautiful.

The club mentioned in the title led me to believe that this book might have a connection to October October which introduces a club with a similar name but there didn’t appear to be any connection. I also thought that this might be directed at a similar age group whereas I think that this seems to be for a younger readership.

This is the story of The Thames and Tide Club which has a wide ranging membership of children and adults who go Mudlarking on the River Thames. They bring back cherished finds to the local museum owner, Oswald and his pet iguana, Gerald. After one mudlarking trip they begin to notice some worrying changes - the river churning angrily, dark skies, fractures in the buildings and water eruptions…As things get worse the occupants of Elm Estate, where they all live, are asked to evacuate…

This is a lovely adventure story with climate change themes and a wonderful and often humorous London underwater theme which sees the children having to return something to the river kingdom for the balance to be returned. An enjoyable adventure which will appeal to younger readers with some absolutely gorgeous illustrations.

With many thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for my copy of this book.

I loved the mudlarking in Katya Balen’s October, October. As a Canadian, it is something I didn’t know a lot about. It’s amazing how much treasure is just waiting to be discovered.

Clem Carden is an enthusiastic young mudlarker. Every Saturday, she attends the Thames and Tide Club with her friends Ash and Zara. At low tide, the group scours the banks of the river finding all sorts of amazing objects. This week, things are a bit different – the river is churning, the weather is turning, something’s not right. Could it have something to do with the twisted metal ring Clem found in the river? Whatver it is, they need to put things right before London collapses.

The Thames and Tide Club: The Secret City is a fast-paced, fun adventure for younger readers age 7+. Imaginative and absolutely delightful, this story is such a contrast to Katya Balen’s other books showcasing her versatility and incredible talent. Illustrations by Rachael Dean add so much to the story and had me smiling throughout – just brilliant! I can’t wait to find out what the Thames and Tide Club will get up to next!

Clem, Ash and Zara all wearing wellies and carrying buckets go to Raj's, Mrs Drummonds, Mr Zafar's and then Sol's before leaving their flats. They are going mudlarking on the Thames.
But what is happening with the river, why is it so rough? Oddly the drains seem to be bubbling over too. And there are puddles in the bakery.
Clem finds a collection of the usual items but sees something odd in the churning water. Then the rain comes. The Thames and Tide club return to the Mudlarking Museum.
From that day things become more odd, water everywhere, cracks in buildings, the children and their friends in the flats are told to leave because it isn't safe.
What is that twisted metal in Clem's bucket? Oswald at the museum says it has to be returned to the river. Why? And why do they have to get in?
They have an adventure to find the owner of the twisted metal ring that Clem found. But what is it and who does it belong to?
I've loved the Katya Balen books I've already read, all of which were aimed at upper KS2 but this will suit younger readers finding their resilience with a book or those for whom a shorter book is still wanted.

A story of Clem, Ash and Zara, who enjoy mudlarking with other friends and by chance find an item leading to adventure in an underwater city. Moves along with good pace with the right amount of peril, humour and friendship to make a good and intriguing story for younger readers. With very good illustration work as well.

What a super little book from Katya Balen! A departure from the style of October October but still very much set in London, this is the opening book all about the mudlarks of The Thames and Tide Club.

Clem, Ash and Zara go mudlarking on the banks of the River Thames every weekend. One discovery leads to unexpected consequences and the friends end up going on an unexpected adventure to the bottom of the river where an underwater kingdom awaits.

This is a fab read that would make for a great class reader for year 3. It's adventurous imaginative and humorous. I used to live near Shoreditch and found the Shoalditch fermented kelp bat reference hilarious!

I loved it The Thames and Tide Club and I'm very much looking forward to this being a lengthy series of books, hopefully.

Having read nearly all of Katya Balens books I was excited to get an ARC of The Thames and Tide Club. Mudlarking was introduced in October, October and I was keen to read a book based around it. I always think it's a difficult balance writing for the younger reader audience but this hit that balance perfectly. I found myself really enjoying this and the idea of the underwater London was really clever and the plot had me smiling throughout. The story moved at pace. I read the whole book in about an hour- maybe less. I can see this book appealing to confident year 2 readers and also Year 3/4 children. As a teacher I can see links to fossils and discovery and also reading it as a class reader. I will be watching out for the next in the Thames and Tide Club series. Thank you for the ARC

What a super chapter book for younger readers!
Mudlarking or the discovering of 'treasures' along a river bank is a brilliant idea for a story. Clem, Ash, Zara and other members of the mudlarking club set out on their latest expedition little knowing the adventure awaiting them. The characters are fun and relatable and will appeal to children. Clem in particular appealed to me as she too carries emergency money for emergency cake. The detailed illustrations add to the charm of the story along with the numerous fishy references to various recognisable London landmarks.
This will be a perfect story time read for my current class and I'm sure they'll be hoping for more adventures in the future.

This story invites readers into an exciting, imaginative world of underwater London. A great read for children who like an adventurous tale with a good mix of humour.

My seven year old loved this title and can't wait for the next in the series. The author has created such a fantastic, imaginative world, which is a joy to escape in to. My son giggled a lot at the fish puns and loved the map of the underwater version of London. The pace of the story was just right to keep him entertained and caught up in the adventure, without getting too complex or in depth. Would highly recommend for any children who enjoy adventure and a bit of humour.

Clem, Ash and Zara live in a tower block in London and are part of the Thames and Tide mudlark club, along with some of their eccentric neighbours. But no one is more eccentric that Oswald, curator of the mudlark Museum who appears to collect unexpected treasures from the river banks.
One day whilst mudlarking Clem discovers an odd metal circle. After that strange things start to happen with flooding in places you wouldn’t expect to be flooded.
It is only when seeking advice from Oswald that he tells the children to return the circle as someone will be looking for it and gives them wetsuits to help them achieve this.
There follows an adventure which is fantastical (and full of fishy puns) and which will appeal to many.