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Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit V. Vegetable Showdown

Contributor(s): Metcalf, Lindsay H (Author), Heller, Johnny (Read by), Fotheringham, Edwin (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9798228843844

Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.

$35.95
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Pub Date: January 16, 2026

Lexile Code: 0000

Features: Unabridged

Target Age Group: NA to NA

Physical Info: 0.00" H x 0.00" L x 0.00" W ( 0.00 lbs) pages

Descriptions, Reviews, etc.

Description:

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? The US Supreme Court takes on the case in this juicy history book for kids ages 7 to 10.

In the late 1800s, American produce king John Nix just wanted to sell tomatoes. But when import taxes on popular vegetables impacted his profits, he knew he had to remedy the situation. Nix set out to prove that tomatoes, which have seeds and grow on vines, were clearly fruits. That was the claim Nix argued all the way to the US Supreme Court. With Nix on Team Fruit, and the US government on Team Vegetable, both sides slung definition after definition in an epic, legal food fight. This little-known agriculturally based story from American history will fascinate young readers and encourage them to take a stand and defend their opinions.

★ "The Supreme Court battle over the definition of a tomato plays out in a humorous children's [...] book which is most certainly guilty of being a remarkable read."--Shelf Awareness, starred review

Brief description:

Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a "Golden Voice" by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.

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