My iPad mini did this not too long ago. I figured out that if I held down both the power button and the main front button, it did a hard reset and it came back to life. Not sure if it's the same for full-size iPads, but as CanoePam suggests, I'd look online and see and give that a shot. Can't hurt!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! Nothing is worse than when a precious bit of technology becomes a paperweight.
