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Charlotte’s first children’s bookstore was founded in 1978 by Fannie Blackwelder and her daughter, Louise Sanford.
Fannie was Coordinator of Children's Services at the Public Library of Mecklenburg County, a position created for her when she moved to Charlotte after serving as head librarian of the Davie County Library. Fannie particularly enjoyed bringing children and books together. She believed good books inspire imagination and nurture the formation of children’s values. It was important to her that children be exposed to the best quality of children's literature because as she always said "You pay attention to what they eat, why not to what they read? You wouldn't feed them just cake and ice cream. They need the meat and potatoes too!"
In 1981, Black Forest Books and Toys moved to our current location and with the added store space, expanded into educational toys. In the years since, an Educational Consultant has been added to our staff. Ruth Lisenco works with many of the directors and teachers in the early childhood field in both North and South Carolina. In addition, many of our staff members are current or former educators, directors, or librarians in early childhood, primary and secondary education.
Twenty-seven years later Black Forest Books and Toys is still a family owned and operated business. Frances Sanford, part of the third generation, is now managing the store. We are very fortunate to have a friendly and knowledgeable staff on hand to help you select the right toy, book, or game for the child of any age.
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