In the Ottoman Empire, novels not only symbolize modernization but also serve as significant mediums, offering perspectives on Ottoman society, its diverse groups, and the individuals within it. In so doing, they play a crucial role in grasping the portrayal and understanding of modern subjectivities. Essentially, drawing on novels published in the Ottoman Empire between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, my paper examines the various representations and conceptualizations of childhood and intertwines them with the concepts of sexuality and gender. It addresses key questions: How do novels construct modern childhood? In what ways and to what extent are sexuality and gender incorporated into this construction? What are the affective ties that novels unravel in this construction? What are the various representations of ideal childhood as well as boyhood and girlhood? How do novels interweave components of gender and sexuality with different emotions in their narratives? Central to my analysis is the exploration of affect within novels. Specifically, I investigate the affective connections between children and parents, as well as children and their social and physical environments. I also examine how these affective ties intersect with the representation of childhood and the conceptualization of sexuality and gender. Moreover, the paper explores how gendered emotions are associated with narratives featuring child subjects. My paper will primarily argue that through the promotion of heterosociality, heteronormativity, a binary gender structure, and associated roles and norms for males and females, novels have discursively contributed to the shifting and evolving landscape of sexuality and gender influenced by modernization, religion, and nationalism. Through the examination of different novels, I aim to trace shifts in discourses on childhood and gendered emotions in narratives. I also aim to highlight the changes in mentality and perspectives in intellectual circles. Furthermore, the paper aims to highlight the diversity in narrative construction among authors concerning modern childhood and associated emotions. In this way, my paper contributes to the existing scholarship on the history of Ottoman childhood and the literary history of the late Ottoman Empire. Regarding the former, my paper underlines the roles of novels in the conceptualization and representation of childhood by incorporating affect into its analysis. Regarding the latter, my paper focuses on the children, positioning them as subjects of analysis within the historical backdrop of the late Ottoman Empire. By doing so, it explores the ways in which modernity, nationalism, and religion influence their portrayals and experiences.