Karena Phan

Karena Phan is an Editorial Assistant at Time for Kids. Before joining TFK, she was an intern at the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington, DC. Karena grew up in Sacramento, California, and graduated from the University of California, Irvine, in 2018 with a bachelor's in literary journalism and a minor in digital information systems. In college she was one of the first news interns at her campus radio station news program, KUCI News, where she found her passion working in a newsroom. She is excited about helping bring media literacy into the classroom and contributing her skills to the TIME for Kids team. In her free time she loves to rock climb, read comic books, and explore new food places.

Latest Stories

Time Off

Big Dog on the Big Screen

November 2, 2021

Clifford the Big Red Dog is coming to the big screen. The movie is based on the book series and animated television show of the same name. Emily Elizabeth is in middle school. She meets a magical animal rescuer who…

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Science

Restoring Forests

October 22, 2021

Aadya Joshi looks across a landscape near Mumbai, India. She sees eucalyptus trees. They were planted to replace a forest. It was cleared for timber. Joshi is not happy. Eucalyptus trees don’t grow naturally in the area, she says. Native…

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Warrior Princess

October 19, 2021

Princess Maya wants nothing more than to be a warrior. But on the day of her quinceañera, or 15th birthday, her wish is turned upside down. An uninvited guest delivers a message that threatens all of humanity. Maya must go…

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Health

A Win for Mental Health

October 8, 2021

Simone Biles was expected to lead the United States women’s gymnastics team to an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, Japan. But not long into the competition on July 27, Biles withdrew from the team event. Biles told reporters that…

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Environment

Bad Bug Alert

September 23, 2021

The spotted lanternfly might look pretty with its red wings and black dots. But the mothlike insect is causing big problems in the United States. Experts are telling people to take action against the pest. “Kill it! Squash it, smash…

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Time Off

A Lively Adventure

September 14, 2021

Vivo is a new animated musical. It’s out now in theaters and on Netflix. The main character is a kinkajou. That’s a rainforest mammal also known as a honey bear. In the film, Vivo spends his days playing music in…

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United States

Game Champs

September 2, 2021

Michigan is this year’s Little League World Series (LLWS) champion. The team from Taylor, Michigan, beat Ohio 5–2 on August 29. Sixteen teams played in the 10-day tournament. It took place in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Because of COVID-19, no international…

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United States

First Pets

June 30, 2021

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden love dogs. They have a German shepherd named Major who lives with them at the White House. Their other dog, Champ, died in June at age 13. The dogs are part of…

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United States

Meet an Athlete

June 21, 2021

The world’s best athletes with a disability will compete at the Paralympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan, from August 24 through September 5. Nicky Nieves is a Paralympic gold medalist. She’s on the United States Women’s Sitting National Team for volleyball.…

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United States

Calling for Change

April 23, 2021

On March 28, Mina Fedor, 12, led a rally with her friends Bee, Anna, Juno, and Mila. It took place in Berkeley, California. More than 1,200 people joined them. The girls led a crowd onto a bridge across a freeway.…

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