Bursting with quirky characters and imaginative world-building elements, this is the start of a delightful young fiction series. Clem and her friends live in a friendly community, and the warmth of that group infuses the whole story. Short chapters and fun illustrations bring huge appeal for readers who are keen to dive in to engaging but accessible stories – BookTrust on THE THAMES AND TIDE CLUB: SECRET CITY

Clem and the sparring twins Ash and Zara are part of a diverse group of mudlarkers who search the shores of the Thames for artefacts and rubbish, and frequent the mudlarking museum, a place of hot chocolate and mystery. Finding a strange object endangers both London and the river, and the three have to enter a fishily named underwater London (Codvent Garden but still Finsbury Park), and meet a self-important snail, menacing eels and a petulant porpoise to put things right. This is the first of a series by the Carnegie medal-winner Balen. The fun is in the sometimes satirical tone, the lively detail in both text and illustrations, and unexpected phrases: “A frankly terrifying china object, shaped like an evil kitten”; “Tower Bridge swayed like a dandelion in the wind” – The Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week on THE THAMES AND TIDE CLUB: SECRET CITY

Who doesn’t love a good fish pun? Or even a bad one, for that matter. In this brilliantly briny adventure story, Clem and her mudlarking pals are plunged into the secret world of underwater London . . . This is Katya Balen’s first series for younger readers, following the success of her novels for older children, such as October, October, which won the Yoto Carnegie Medal last year. She is clearly delighting in the daftness of gangster eels and stroppy porpoises, but retains the sensitive style that is her trademark.
The action bobs along with the help of black and white illustrations and maps of this secret underwater city by Rachael Dean. Although there is an environmental message, it is never pushed too hard, less a dreary lecture and more a gentle undercurrent that bubbles beneath all the magic and mudlarking. There is much for young readers to enjoy. Dive in – The Times Children’s Book of the Week on THAMES AND TIDE CLUB: SECRET CITY

Balen doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects and her books all embrace weighty themes within gently suspenseful plots. In The Thames and Tide Club, however, she’s writing for younger readers (the recommended age is seven-plus), and the pace is notably brisker as the story plunges us straight into a highly imagined fantasy, much of which takes place underwater.

Balen’s writing also contains a simple poeticism: “Everything looked very familiar. The shapes of the buildings were exactly like the ones above water?… but the more she looked, the more she could see signs that the city was falling apart.” There is a gentle, but never overbearing, moral about protecting the environment; and the combination of short, suspenseful chapters and engaging illustrations by Rachael Dean make this a book that even less confident readers are likely to enjoy

Balen launches a new series for slightly younger readers with this wildly imaginative romp set on the banks of the River Thames. . . . Packed with piscine puns and lovely descriptions, this is a watery wonder.

A delightful illustrated quest story