There are few things better than watching an elementary school gym turn into a full-blown “historical” wax museum.

Rows of poster boards. Fake buttons taped to the floor. Kids attempting to stand perfectly still, but occasionally sprinting across the gym to see what their friends were doing.

Alice chose Anne Frank, which somehow fit her perfectly — thoughtful, calm, observant, notebook in hand like she had walked straight out of another era. The costume was incredible. Equal parts respectful and completely convincing.

Auggie, meanwhile, became a slightly reserved, stage-fright version of Freddie Mercury.

The mustache.
The microphone.
The fist in the air.

A pretty solid commitment to the bit.

What I loved most was seeing who they chose. Anne Frank and Freddie Mercury couldn’t have been more different, but both left a mark on the world simply by being fully themselves. That’s a pretty great lesson to stumble into at 9 years old.