Ready to follow the yellow brick road back to Oz? Your favorite witches return in Wicked Never Waits, the second book in The School for Witches series by Will Taylor.
Making her escape back to the West Oz Witch Academy wasn’t all Ava had hoped. In fact, it was kind of boring. So when Ava and her friends head back to the School for Wicked Witches, she finally feels like she’s where she belongs. But things are far from perfect – she’s behind in her classes, struggling to catch up to her classmates, and stuck in detention with Henry and Crow, cleaning up the mess they caused after the events of the first book.
Ava and her roommate Tinabella have made up kinda, but things are still tense between them, something they’ll have to push aside in order to work together when things start going wrong and a book that contains the secrets to becoming the most powerful witch in Oz comes into play and threatens everything if it ends up in the wrong hands.
Perfect for fans of WICKED, WITCHLINGS, and THE WIZARD OF OZ, this magical series returns with magical adventures, friendship feuds, and a whole lot more.
After making her escape from The School for Wicked Witches, Ava has realized that it might be the right place for her, after all. But her return isn’t triumphant — if anything, she’s more behind than ever. When things start to go very wrong at the school, Ava discovers she may be able to save the day… but only if she pairs up with Tinabella, her friend-turned-enemy. What’s a young witch to do?
The School for Wicked Witches: Wicked Never Waits
AUTHOR: Will Taylor
PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.
DATE: February 4, 2025
Wicked Never Waits builds on the story from the first book, bringing even more adventure, higher stakes, bigger twists, and lots of powerful magic! Want to win a copy of both books? CLICK HERE!
Ava has learned a lot about magic since discovering her abilities, so we asked her to share a little wicked wisdom to help you figure out your own magic! (Written by author Will Taylor, of course!)
Ava Heartstraw’s Top Tips for Figuring Out Your Magic:
AVA: So apparently there might be a bit more magic in Oz than other places, but I promise there’s plenty around no matter where you live. Finding out I had magic totally changed my life, so here are my top three tips for figuring out yours:
Start With Whatever’s Distracting You:
Sometimes our brains know more than we do, and distractions can be their way of saying, “Hey! Over here! Cool stuff!” Looking for patterns in what distracts you is a perfect magic-seeking first step. (It’s like decoding a secret signal!)
Pay Attention to Plants and Animals:
My family grows brick moss out in the desert, and for the past couple years the moss always did better when I was the one taking care of it. Turns out I was using water magic without even knowing!
Are you good with certain animals? Do insects trust you? Do plants perk up when you’re around? Keep an eye out: That might be your magic!
Don’t Force It:
Trying too hard was how I ended up accidentally destroying part of my first school (whoops), so now I always take a slow, deep breath before I connect with my magic. You can do that, too.
Close your eyes if it helps. Just relax, reach out with your heart and mind, and picture the good things you want to do. When your magic arrives, remember: You are in charge!
Even More Wicked Advice from Ava’s Friends:
Okay, so my friends Tinabella, Crow, and Henry saw me writing this and are insisting on sharing their top tips, too:
TINABELLA: Read everything! Flip through random library books until you find something that makes you go “Whoa”! Books are actual containers for magic! For real! Don’t argue! Read them all!
HENRY: Um, hi. Hello. I think just be ready for anything? Your magic might not be what you expect, but it will probably turn out to be important later on. That’s what happened for me, at least. Is that useful?
CROW: Magic’s cool, but friends are better. (Stop laughing, Tinabella. I know it’s cheesy!) I think telling your friends you’re proud of them is the best magic ever, cause it makes everybody involved happy. You got this!
🩷WICKED GIVEAWAY: We’re giving away copies of both books in The School for Wicked Witches! Enter HERE for your chance to WIN!💚
