The Chosen by Chaim Potok

This is one of my all time favorite books. I first discovered it when I was in 6th grade, and have reread it many times since then. It's a book that has really affected the way I look at the world and changed my life. This book truly is a must read.

I really liked the concise review I found on Littera Scripta Manet, So I decided to just copy from there rather than write my own review:

In The Chosen, Potok tells the story of two Jewish boys in 1940's Brooklyn--Reuven and Daniel--who form an unlikely friendship after a baseball hit by Daniel, a Hassidic, strikes Reuven, a Modern Orthodox, in the eye. As their friendship develops, so does the social and political climate as the boys' fathers react differently to the potential for an Israeli state at the conclusion of World War II. Ultimately, the boys successfully maintain their friendship, while responsibly dealing with the conflicts between their fathers and their beliefs.

The novel's themes include the strength of friendship, the pursuit of truth, religion & the secular world, and father-son relationships; a father's advice on friendship; two views on how to raise a son; serious religious study; discussion of historic events in the context of the novel; and moral themes of family, friendship, religion, and life-long learning.