kelly hennessy, the very first thing I would suggest is that you no longer try to turn it on or to charge it. this could cause further damage. Disassemble your Kindle, by following [guide|10457|this teardown]. It is a teardown and not a concise guide, so do it slowly. Once you have it disassembled remove the battery and clean everything with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol. Use a small soft brush to clean all the connectors. Do not forget to clean under every EMI shield etc. and do not forget the power/sync connector Be very conscientious how and where you clean. Once it is cleaned '''replace the battery''' reassemble and re-evaluate.