Mudlarking is hunting for treasure on the banks of a river. It's always seemed quite mysterious, the wonder of what you will find, and just like mud larking - The Thames and Tide Club is a children's mystery novel that hooks you in from its opening pages.
Clem and her friends are mudlarking on the banks of the Thames when Clem spots something pink in the swirling river and in her bucket she adds her treasures including a strange-looking loop. Strange things begin to happen in the city - water leaks up through the baker's floor, a single rain cloud deposits its contents on one person whilst the person behind is left dry and cracks appear in the pavement on Elm Estate (where the characters live.)
Luckily, Oswald who set up the mud larking group knows exactly what Clem has to do with the mysterious ring - take it back to the river.
As the mystery unfolds we meet lots of interesting 'fish' and underwater characters which add to the story.

An enjoyable read.

It's so nice to read a book that is a chapter book aimed at younger readers as it's such a tricky age range to find such books. I really enjoyed all the fish puns and I had no idea that there were so many places in London that could be tweaked to have a fish related name. I enjoyed the mystery and all the funny little jokes and I think children, especially those familiar to London will enjoy this book too.

A delightful new book from the winner of the Carnegie Medal. this is aimed at a younger audience and has a light touch. The heroes find themselves caught up in a magical underwater world which could impact on their beloved London homes. A great mix of adventure, fantasy and caring for our environment

Zara and Ash are part of the Thames and Tide club, a group of mudlarkers.
One day, strange things start happening that are linked to the mudlarking finds. Zara and her friends must take an underwater adventure to put things right.
This is a short read for younger readers and I found it quite different to other books from Katya Balen.

Katya Belen knows how to create great stories for children and The Thames and Tide Club is the start of a promising series. Following early tremors, strange cracks in the ground and floods something strange is happening in London.Clem, Zara and Ash are members of the Thames Tide club who go to search for objects revealed by low tides from the River Thames but a chance discovery causes havoc and the children have to enter a mysterious underwater world to save the city from destruction. Equipped with sealskin costumes they discover a London unknown to most humans and a community of aquatic characters. Told with humour and fast paced adventure this is an ideal read for the 7-9 year range -Rachael Dean’s illustrations add to the fun and drama and bring the underwater world to life - this is a great start to a new series. The London play on word locations are spot on .