Meet Me at the Picket Line
Will be published approx. on 13. August 2026
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-06-302582-0 (ISBN)
Description
"A swoon worthy romance wrapped in courage, solidarity, and queer happiness!"-Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best
Unionizing his job wasn't on Eli Goldstein's summer bucket list-but neither was falling for his irritatingly self-righteous and handsome school rival. Sparks fly on the picket line in this hilarious, coming-of-age rom-com that's perfect for fans of Jason June, Page Powars, and A.M. Woody!
All's fair in love and solidarity...
Eli Goldstein might be the only teenager looking forward to earning minimum wage at his objectively terrible summer job. Not only will he be working at the kitschy roadside museum he loves, he'll finally have the down payment for his top surgery with a first-class surgeon.
But the museum really is a late-stage capitalist hellscape, and Eli's co-workers-led by his irritatingly self-righteous and annoyingly attractive school rival, Efrain-plan to unionize. With his sanity and safety at risk on the job, Eli knows he has to join their campaign.
If he and Efrain can stop bickering long enough to keep their ragtag union together, they might actually have a shot. But when management begins to grow suspicious, Eli will have to make a choice: Is he willing to stand in solidarity with his friends and the boy he's starting to fall for, even if it means risking his job and the key to his life-changing surgery?
Labor Rights Summer Meets Rivals-to-Lovers: Eli came to collect a paycheck, not his morally supervisor classroom rival who looks ridiculously good yelling through a megaphone.
Forced Proximity Meets Slow-Burn Romance: Working side by side (and arguing nonstop) at their summer job turns bickering into something deeper, whether Eli and Efrain are ready for it or not.
Fall for the Boy, Fight the System: If Eli is risking everything to fight for his rights, he might as well risk his heart too.
Unionizing his job wasn't on Eli Goldstein's summer bucket list-but neither was falling for his irritatingly self-righteous and handsome school rival. Sparks fly on the picket line in this hilarious, coming-of-age rom-com that's perfect for fans of Jason June, Page Powars, and A.M. Woody!
All's fair in love and solidarity...
Eli Goldstein might be the only teenager looking forward to earning minimum wage at his objectively terrible summer job. Not only will he be working at the kitschy roadside museum he loves, he'll finally have the down payment for his top surgery with a first-class surgeon.
But the museum really is a late-stage capitalist hellscape, and Eli's co-workers-led by his irritatingly self-righteous and annoyingly attractive school rival, Efrain-plan to unionize. With his sanity and safety at risk on the job, Eli knows he has to join their campaign.
If he and Efrain can stop bickering long enough to keep their ragtag union together, they might actually have a shot. But when management begins to grow suspicious, Eli will have to make a choice: Is he willing to stand in solidarity with his friends and the boy he's starting to fall for, even if it means risking his job and the key to his life-changing surgery?
Labor Rights Summer Meets Rivals-to-Lovers: Eli came to collect a paycheck, not his morally supervisor classroom rival who looks ridiculously good yelling through a megaphone.
Forced Proximity Meets Slow-Burn Romance: Working side by side (and arguing nonstop) at their summer job turns bickering into something deeper, whether Eli and Efrain are ready for it or not.
Fall for the Boy, Fight the System: If Eli is risking everything to fight for his rights, he might as well risk his heart too.
Reviews / Votes
"A swoon worthy romance wrapped in courage, solidarity, and queer happiness!" - Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best ???????"A rally cry of a book, proving that the kids are more than just alright-they're ready to lead the way." - Brian D. Kennedy, award-winning author of A Little Bit Country
"Sanchez has crafted yet another pitch-perfect read for socially conscious teens, cementing himself as a must-read author for the next generation." - Dahlia Adler, award-winning author of Cool for the Summer
"Strikes the perfect balance between heartfelt love letter to classic TV fandom and a stand-up-and-cheer rallying cry for workplace justice." - Isaac Fitzsimons, author of The Passing Playbook
"A heartfelt and inspiring story of teens standing up to the unfair systems around them and changing their futures." - L.C. Rosen, author of Camp
"Captures the power and complexity of collective organizing-and finding love where you least expect it-with nuance, heart, and plenty of snappy banter." - Ray Stoeve, author of Worst-Case Scenario
"Jasper Sanchez fans of the world, unite! This thoroughly engaging narrator will charm you, move you, and inspire you at the next picket line. " - Miel Moreland, author of Something Like Possible
"I won't be the only one who gets a little misty-eyed reading about the journey of this ragtag union. Solidarity forever!" - Jessica Mary Best, author of Stars, Hide Your Fires
"A refreshingly nuanced exploration of intersectionality and allyship. Sanchez effectively weaves the concept of the importance of caring for your fellow humans, both collectively and individually." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This upbeat cast of diverse characters who respect their varying abilities and common bonds as they learn how to achieve equity in the workplace will entertain and inform readers." - School Library Journal
"Entertaining, romantic, heart-wrenching, educational, and inspirational, Meet Me at the Picket Line reminds the reader that they are not alone." - Booklist
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: Eighth Grade and over, Interest Age: From 14 to 99 years
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Weight
449 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-302582-0 (9780063025820)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Jasper Sanchez is the author of The (Un)Popular Vote, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. He earned his BA in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and his MA in cinema and media studies from UCLA. While neither degree prepared him for the neoliberal hellscape of late-stage capitalism, they did push him to join the IWW as a red card-carrying Wobbly. He is a Californian by birth, disposition, and more recently, choice. When he's not writing, he can be found kvetching about capitalism and conversing with his cat. You can visit him online at www.jaspersanchez.com.