LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 15: Actress Quvenzhane Wallis attends the 20th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards at the Hollywood Palladium on January 15, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for A&E Network)

An Oscar nominee at age 9, Quvenzhane Wallis is now getting an early start on a writing career.

The actress known for “Beasts of the Southern Wild” has a deal with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for a chapter book series and a picture book.

Illustration by: Thomas Kuhlenbeck

I hate whining.

Ironically, when I was asked to write about the Oscar “whiteout,” I was in a planning meeting for the NAACP Image Awards. For those who don’t know, the NAACP created the Image Awards almost 50 years ago in response to the lack of recognition of black talent in front of and behind the camera in mainstream (white) awards shows. You’d think this show wouldn’t be needed by now, but that’s clearly not the case.

Was there Oscar-worthy work in Selm