BROOKLYN NAVY YARD, Brooklyn -- Book by book, block by block, the Brooklyn Book Bodega is working to make books as accessible as a bag of chips from your local corner store.

Co-founders Rebecca Cogen and Seema Aghera chose the name "Bodega" with intention.

"When you think of bodegas in New York, you think of a place that is familiar, a place where people come together," said Aghera.

"Books should have been as accessible as your neighborhood bodega," added Cohen.

This nonprofit, grassroots organization is actively working to eliminate "book deserts," neighborhoods where book ownership is scarce.

"Our mission is to increase the number of 100-plus book homes for kids in New York City," said Aghera.

By providing free, lightly used books, they want to ensure that every child, regardless

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