• Author Sharon Reed will be available to sign copies of her child development book, “Give Your Child An Advantage,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Borders, 3539 E. Main St., St. Charles. For information, call Sunnie Atkins at (888) 361-9473.

• Colleen Rouch, a licensed Realtor with Baird & Warner Fox Valley and an accredited staging professional, is offering two classes at the Geneva Park District Community Center in October.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, “How to Get Your Home Sold in Today’s Market” will share simple staging strategies to make a strong impact, along with other important factors such as pricing, location and community services.

The second class, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, will investigate the unique characteristics of real estate as an investment tool: “Evaluating Income and Investment Properties.”

Each class will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Geneva Park District Community Center, 710 Western Ave. Cost is $10 per session for residents and $15 for nonresidents. For further information, visit www.genevaparks.org.

• “Five Ways to Strengthen Your Business in an Uncertain Economy” will be the topic of the October session of the Downtown St. Charles Partnership’s Business Development Breakfast series, from 8 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the Baker Community Center in St. Charles. Each session in the business development series is free to members and costs $20 per person for nonmembers. To register, call (630) 513-5386, Ext. 1.

• A free “First-time Home Buyer Workshop” will be sponsored by American Bank and Trust at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Batavia Public Library at Route 31 and Wilson Street.

A mortgage consultant will help walk participants through the home-buying process from finding and financing through owning one’s own home.

For more information or to register, call the presenter, Barbara Lange, at (630) 251-3478.