The objective of this paper is to present a review of the recent results concerning the new concepts and achievements in the area of semiconductor spintronics, which has greatly emerged last years. Development of this field of semiconductor and magnetic physics is largely determined by the progress in synthesis of new materials and low dimensional structures, which are inherent to obtain functional spintronic devices. Some recent approaches for materials and structure development in the area of spin polarized carrier states and flow formation as well as spin injection is highlighted. In particular, the spintronics rout of II-VI, III-V and IV-VI ferromagnetic semiconductor compounds and structures is analyzed. Several methods and structures for spin manipulation and for testing spin parameters of carriers are presented underlying the role of spin-orbital interaction. The novel spintronics phenomenon - Spin Hall Effect (SHE) - is reviewed. New peculiarities of SHE, induced by interband interaction of heavy and light holes through optical like displacements, are studied in p-doped semiconductors.